Moonlight and Steel: The Butterfly Effect
by MidKnight Rider
Summary: The Jack and Sam of the Ripple Effect 'desert camo Janet/Martouf' Universe. The story retold.
1. Chapter 1

**In the canon episode Ripple Effect we met an Alternate Universe version of SG1 that arrived in camouflage and featured Janet Fraiser and Martouf. At the end we learned that Sam had not only gone on a honeymoon but was now on maternity leave. This is the story of that Samantha Carter.**

**(0)**

His buddy's retirement party was in full swing and Jack was quietly working on his third beer while pretending it was his fifteenth. His friends were being particularly riotous but there was no sign that O'Malley's was ready to toss them out just yet. They'd been there for a while and Jack knew he could get them back under control if he needed to.

He'd stopped paying close attention to them anyway, when he'd first spotted the quietly dazzling woman sitting at a booth across the way. He'd seen her mostly in profile, which was fine because it was a stunning profile – lovely jawline, sweetly formed nose and brow, blond tousled hair. She was focused on her friends at the table, a group of women probably enjoying a girls' night out. When she turned her head to speak to their server, Jack finally got a good look at her whole face.

She could go to Hollywood with a face like that – delicate symmetry and stunning eyes, a smile that melted hearts. He wondered how every man in the room wasn't staring at her. He was only getting away with it because decades of Special Forces had taught him how to look without looking.

He had been trained to make assessments that didn't require direct stares. He could take in more with one oblique glance than most people could by looking straight at something. He'd been a commando for a long time – before the shit had hit the fan in his personal life and given him more than enough excuse to retire without the military arguing about letting go of someone with his level of clearance.

Yeah, they'd dragged him back in, and sent him on the trip of a lifetime. But he was out again now, and entitled to a night on the town raising hell with some old friends. It had been all he had planned, and he knew how these guys could get when they really got going, so someone had needed to come along to be the Designated Sane Person.

The woman smiled gratefully at their server, who walked away. Then she looked, casually and directly, at Jack.

For a single moment, O'Malley's seemed to have literally disappeared. There was quiet curiosity in her gaze, an awareness that men often stared at her and that he had been watching, in spite of his best efforts. Her frank gaze sharpened into keen interest and sent a flutter of skipped heartbeats through Jack's chest, made his breath come shallow. He hadn't been hit by the sight, the acknowledgment, of someone else this way since he was a teenager, not even with his ex-wife. The jolt of awareness blindsided him.

Christ, he was too old for this.

Slowly, she tilted her head. The hint of a smile pulled at the corner of her mouth and it seemed to Jack that she came just short of nodding to him before she turned back to her companions and reached for the drink in front of her.

Jack tried very hard to focus on his buddies for the next fifteen minutes or so. Then she got up and started towards the pool table with a few of her friends in tow. Jack watched as a few men tried to work up the courage to walk up to her and saw every attempt die with a single, forthright glance from her wide blue eyes. Four or five times between her table and the pool table it looked as if someone was going to try to hit on her. But they all quit before they even got started. She moved with a kind of quiet grace, a casual authority as she took up a pool cue and waited for her friend to rack up the balls.

Kawalsky's voice in his ear was an unwelcome disturbance. He wanted to stay in the dream state she had evoked. He needed to savor this sudden awareness. He felt vibrantly alert after months and years of numbness, of going through the motions, of going through life in a walking coma.

"Forget it, Jack," he said. "She's way out of your league."

All right, so this time he had been openly staring and had been caught. Did it matter? Kawalsky seemed to know who she was.

"Who is she?"

"You don't know?"

"No. Should I?"

"That's Captain Samantha Carter."

"That's Carter? The egghead who built the dialing computer?"

"The same one."

Jack turned back to watch her make a shot that banked two balls off the walls and sank them both in opposite pockets. A murmur of approval went up from the crowd.

"She's way smarter than you," said Kawalsky's voice in his ear. "Like I said, way out of your league."

Jack turned reluctantly back to his rowdy friends and lifted his beer.

"Yeah," he said, "you're probably right."

(0)

An hour later he had lost track of Carter and decided he needed to get some air. He told his buddies he was going for a smoke, even though he was trying to quit and he wasn't planning to actually light up, and then slipped out into the night.

The nights were cool in Colorado Springs, even in the early summer. He had slipped into his jacket and walked only a few steps from the entrance to the curb by the parking lot when a shiny silver two-seater MG with the top down pulled up next to him.

Sam Carter was sitting inside it. The wind was feathering her hair and there was a small smile on her lips. Her strong, long-fingered hand was resting casually on the gear shift.

"Want a ride?" she asked. Her voice was low and rich. He would have recognized it anywhere, even though he had never heard it before.

Jack studied her cautiously. "Didn't your mother teach you not to give rides to strangers?"

"You're not a stranger. I know exactly who you are."

"Oh, you do?" He lifted his eyebrows in question.

"You're Colonel Jack O'Neill. You went on the mission to Abydos. In fact, you just got back," she waited a beat, letting him take that in. "In fact, I'd really like to talk to you about that."

"Oh, you would," he said.

"Very much," she said, nodding, "We can talk over coffee, or over drinks, but the way you were nursing that beer in there tells me that's not so much incentive."

Attentive, Jack thought. Observant. "There's a Starbucks about two blocks from here. Has a dark corner. Should be quiet this time of night."

"Get in. I'll drive."

She drove like a pro, handling the little two-seater as if she had been born to do it. She must fly like an ace. Wonder what she prefers in the air? Jack couldn't quite stop the thought.

They parked in the lot at the strip mall and ordered coffee. She hadn't put the top up and the chilly air had burned the alcohol out of him. He was looking forward to putting his hands around something tall and hot.

And by that he just meant coffee.

They sat down at a quiet table by the lightly burning fireplace. "So, Captain—"

"Sam," she said, quickly. "Please, call me Sam. This isn't official or anything."

The name resonated in his mind when she said it, set off a pulse wave of recognition. He looked at her and found her looking back with an open expression, eyes an astonishing clear blue crinkling a little at the corners when she smiled back at him.

It occurred to Jack that he had just given away that he knew who she was, but something told him she had already been aware of that. He held her gaze for an extra moment, long practiced at conveying calm, affable strength no matter what was going on inside him, and said, "Jack."

"Jack," she repeated.

It was a quiet, almost thoughtful echo, as though she was evaluating the name, deciding whether it fit, deciding it did. But his name shaping her mouth and being uttered in her voice sent a flash flood of awareness through him, a reaction that shocked the crap out of him.

It was the first physical reaction he'd had in two years, since his son had almost killed himself with Jack's own personal handgun. Charlie was fine – he'd had a broken collarbone and a whole lot of blood loss, but he had lived. Jack's son survived; his marriage and his self-esteem had not. Sara had left the state and taken Charlie with her, and they'd sold the house. He hadn't fought it. It had been the right thing at the time, for everyone. Sara was remarried already to a good guy. Charlie was happy and Jack got to see him and talk to him on the phone.

The shrinks said it had all been accidental and Charlie had woken up in the hospital with no memory of it at all.

His fault, either way.

Jack leaned forward and scooted closer to the table, putting his hands around his coffee and hoping Sam couldn't tell that his hands were shaking. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Lowering her voice, she said, "I should have been part of that mission."

He blinked. "Is that why I'm here? So you can complain?"

She shrugged, lifted a shoulder in a delicate motion. "No. I get it. I'm in an all-boys club and I don't get to make the decisions. But I was involved in the program for years and I was your best bet for finding a way a way to dial the Gate on Abydos if Dr. Jackson failed."

"It wasn't the dialing that was the problem. It was what to dial in the first place."

She leaned forward. "What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"The trip through the wormhole," she said, eagerly.

"It was…short. Cold."

He hadn't said much, but the way she sat back in her chair and got an inward, dreamy look on her face told him he'd said enough. "I can't believe after all those years they shut that program down."

"Why not? It's not like we can use it again. We can't go back there."

"I know," she said grimly.

"So what are you going to do now?" Jack asked, curiously.

"Well at the moment I'm stationed at Peterson and teaching at the Academy. I've thought about reapplying for the astronaut program."

"You trained to be an astronaut?"

"Yes. It's all I ever wanted to do until I found out about the Stargate."

After that the conversation got easier, and Jack relaxed. They ordered more coffee and a couple of Danish pastries. She talked a lot about her work and her interest in astronomy, which surprised him. He didn't mention the telescope on his roof because it would have seemed too much like he was hitting on her.

He skipped around his own life, hiding details about his work and his family. But he saw the deductions and conclusions happening behind her brilliant, too-beautiful eyes.

At some point Jack realized he was enjoying himself – really enjoying himself, more than he had in anyone's company in a long, long time. This is happy, he thought, with an odd wonderment, in the middle of an easygoing debate about the pros and cons of the F-15 Eagle. This is what contentment feels like.

They stayed until it was obvious the people who worked there wanted to close up and then they walked back out into the night. It didn't escape his notice that they moved in lockstep, pausing at the same moment on the sidewalk, already in perfect sync, the way it got when people had served in the same company for a very long time.

"Look," he said, "I don't want to push this and you'd be shocked how long it's been for me. But I would really like to see you again. I won't put you in the position of giving me a fake phone number, and I'm certainly not going to do some creepy stalker thing like looking you up at Peterson. But I'll give you my number and it can be entirely up to you."

Samantha smiled, and a blush stained her cheeks. "I'd like that," she said, quietly. "Can I give you a ride home?"

"No, I'll call a cab. Like I said, don't want to push it."

She understood. No awkward time in the car at his curb, no invitation to come in and have one more coffee.

"It's late. I should go," she said.

He nodded and watched her walk to her car, watched her turn the key and open the door.

"Call me," he said, before he could stop it, before he had time to think about how pathetic it sounded.

She turned and blinded him with a smile. "I will."

(0)


	2. Chapter 2

She didn't call the next day, but he didn't really think anything of it. He spent the day on the couch, surfing the sports channels and napping. Towards evening he cut the grass, watered the garden, changed the oil in the truck and then came inside to eat some leftover pizza, shower and hit the couch again. He fell asleep to Sports Center and didn't wake up until morning.

When he woke up, the TV was still on and the sun was coming in the side windows from the deck. He got up, dressed and went to the kitchen to discover he was out of coffee because he lived alone and no one ever reminded him to go to the grocery store.

He went out and picked up some stuff he hoped wouldn't spoil overnight, coffee, soap and shaving cream. He was putting the bag away when the phone rang. I took him a minute to find it.

"O'Neill."

There was a moment's hesitation in which he could hear her breathing, a soft exhale in his ear and then she was saying "Hi. It's Carter. Samantha."

"Hi," he said, "Samantha."

"Jack," she answered, sounding happy. Again, Jack felt a sudden and almost forgotten stirring in his blood just because of the way she said his name. God, she was breathtaking even when he couldn't see her. She seemed to hesitate again and then blurted out, "So, I was wondering if I could see you again."

"Um," he said, "sure. I'd like that. What did you have in mind?"

"I'm scheduled for some flight hours tomorrow. I wondered if you wanted to go with me. I might have imagined it, but you sounded kind of nostalgic when we were talking about the F-15 and I thought you might like it. It's not like you'd have to get clearance. It didn't sound like you've been up recently."

Jack caught the sarcastic bark of laughter that almost erupted against his will. She had no idea how true that was – in every possible sense of the word. He took a deep breath and let his mind focus on being in an F-15 again, with her.

His throat momentarily clogged with a longing so intense he almost couldn't get the words out.

"Um, no," he said. "Can't remember the last time I was in the air. So sure. What time?"

She told him and they arranged a place on the base to meet and then he shut off the phone.

Jack spent the rest of the day working around the house, cleaning up, scrubbing things he'd ignored for months and telling himself he didn't believe in love at first sight.

(0)

Jets screamed overhead like angry birds. Jack held his flight helmet in his hands and glanced at Sam. Her hair was blowing in the wind and her eyes were shining with excitement.

"It's great, right?" She had to shout over the noise.

Jack grinned, feeling exhilarated for the first time in years. "Would you just look at those things? Sweet!" He spun around on his heels and walked backward slightly in front of her, bouncing on his heels a little and saying, "We're not going up in the Talon, right? You got your training wheels off?"

"Years ago," she said, laughing at him. "I promised you an F-15 and I plan to deliver." She blushed a little as if she realized belatedly how that sounded, but Jack was just grinning and saying "Exxxcellent" in a reasonable imitation of Mr. Burns from the Simpsons.

He spun back around in a way that belied his bad knees and walked along beside her like an exuberant little boy at the amusement park. They ducked around a fuel truck and there it was, sitting as neat and pristine as could possibly be imagined.

"Oh, yeah," Jack crooned. He gazed with open lust at the elegant swept-back wings, the pointed nose, twin engines and sharp twin vertical tails. The F-15E Strike Eagle sat delicately on her landing gear, as if she didn't want to be touching the earth. He knew just how she felt as the power surged through her engines, heavy, barely tamed and oh-so-fucking fast. His hands itched as he put on his gloves, ready for the controls. He couldn't wait to feel it again – that pushed-back-in-the-seat rush, the energy and power coursing through man and machine.

He glanced up to find Sam smiling at him with a kind of bemused fondness as she worked on her own gloves. It made his chest hurt again, the way she looked at him.

An airman on the ground saluted them both because it still said Colonel on Jack's flight suit, and then they were scrambling on board. Jack ran through the pre-flight check with Sam as naturally as breathing, like they had done it before. The engines fired, that beautiful slowly rising whine singing in his ears and in his blood. The tarmac became a slow steady rumble under them, and Jack leaned back and let the jet speak to him. They were all like this; each Eagle had a unique set of idiosyncrasies, and his senses were attuned to every nuance.

"She's older," Sam said over the comm system, "a little loose, a couple of rattles."

Jack felt an unreasonable surge of pride in Sam. It's not like she was his student, but she'd felt all the same things.

The familiar disembodied voice gave them clearance and then Sam let loose with everything the Eagle had and they were rocketing down the runway and punching a hole in the sky. Jack was thrown back in the seat with his mouth opened in a drowned laugh.

Clouds snapped by them as Sam worked the controls, taking the jet through some pretty standard maneuvers as she continued to get a feel for her. Jack rode it, thoroughly exhilarated and itching to take over. Sam rolled the jet, worked the throttle and threw them both back in their seats.

"You want to take her?" Sam asked.

Oh hell yeah. "It's your flight hours," he said, ever the gentleman.

"I didn't ask you along just to be a passenger. Go ahead," Sam invited. The canopy reflected sky and her breathtaking smile. Jack couldn't stop the warmth and affection that came so suddenly it made him dizzy.

He put the jet into a climb, almost a full twelve o'clock before leveling off and rolling her again.

God. God.

"Go ahead," Sam said, reading his mind. "You know you want to."

He didn't argue. A brief communication with the tower and then Jack punched the full throttle. The engines shrieked, boomed, and they left sound behind them.

She picked that moment to glance back at him, soft lips parted in a smile, eyes as big and blue as the sky. Jack shot a glance at the gauges and the oxygen was fine. There must be another reason he felt suddenly lightheaded.

They stayed up until the fuel ran low, trading the controls back and forth in equitable fashion. Sam let Jack bring her in and he resisted the urge he always had to buzz the tower. He always wanted to – mostly because it was just right there, and too much temptation. But it always pissed off the guys in the tower and he didn't want them blistering the radios with their predictable reaction.

He breezed in slightly closer than was actually allowed, trusting to rank to spare him the lectures.

The silence of the engines was sudden. The canopy creaked and cool air rushed in. The sun was setting now, brushing the sky with streaks of orange and purple and red. The fading light burnished Sam's hair to bronze as she took off her helmet and fluffed it out with her fingers.

"That was—" he stopped because he didn't have the words. It was always like this after a run like that, as if a part of him was still in the air. He was singing with life for the first time in years. He gazed at Sam in helpless silence.

But she just grinned with her eyes full of wild sky and something else as she said, "Yeah."

The ground crew was already taking control of the plane, ignoring them. Distantly Jack approved of their efficiency. But he kind of missed the Eagle already.

They faced each other with their flight helmets tucked under their arms and the exhilaration of the flight still in their bloodstream.

"You want to get some dinner?" Jack asked, before he could stop himself. "We can eat on the base or go somewhere else."

"O'Malley's has great steaks," she answered immediately. "I'll drive."

"Sure," Jack said, unreasonably and ridiculously happy. "Let's do that."

(0)


	3. Chapter 3

Three weeks later Jack couldn't remember what it had been like not to have Sam in his life. It was so damned shockingly easy, effortless, like breathing. Like flying.

She'd told him that she'd just broken off an engagement and from the sounds of it – the few things she had said about the nature of the relationship – Jack didn't blame her a bit. It would be better for everyone involved if Jack never ran into a certain Captain Hanson. Jack had no doubt that Sam could take care of herself, but it would be best if their paths never crossed.

He had been to her house a few times, not to stay but to pick her up. They had gone hiking a few times and to the museum at Peterson just because neither of them had ever been there. But now Jack kind of wanted her to come back to his place.

So he planned something he hoped she'd find special.

He picked her up at 7 and found Sam waiting on her front porch, wearing jeans and a grey sweater and carrying her jacket. She jumped up as he pulled up to the curb and walked eagerly to the truck, opening the door and jumping inside.

"Dressed casual with a jacket, just like you said," she said, buckling her seatbelt. When she looked up, she smiled at him and he wondered if that would ever stop making his chest hurt a little. "Where are we going?"

"I also said it was a surprise. Do you trust me?" He put the truck in gear and pulled away from the curb.

"I wouldn't be in the truck if I didn't," she said.

"Then relax, Captain. If you must know we're going back to my place. But you won't even have to come inside and if it isn't any fun all you have to say is no."

He kept his eyes on the road but he felt her looking at him steadily. She had threat-assessed him ages ago. So he wasn't worried.

On the way to her house he called and ordered two large pizzas, one meat lovers and one with all the things Sam liked. The timing was perfect. The pizza guy was pulling into the driveway just as they arrived.

Jack paid him and gave him a generous tip for being there just at the right time, which couldn't possibly have been planned but still…. Then he got a bottle of Chianti out of the back seat.

"Ready?"

Sam was looking slightly bemused. "Pizza and Chianti at your place is the surprise?"

"No, that's dinner," Jack said, "The surprise is around this way. Come on, I'll show you."

Sam followed him to the wooden staircase on the other side of the garage. He stepped back, balancing the pizza boxes in one hand and holding the Chianti in the other and invited her to go up ahead of him with a nod of his head and a smile.

Cautiously Sam climbed the stairs until she got to the top and he heard an audible gasp.

"Oh my god," she said, "You have a deck on your roof with a telescope!"

"Yep," Jack said, slightly pleased with himself. That wasn't all that was there at the moment. He'd purchased a bistro set at the Ace Hardware when he was there getting a new fitting for the leaky pipe under the sink. The set was now sitting on the deck with the table set for two. There was a candle in the middle waiting to be lit and a small vase with a handful of wild daisies. He'd gone down to the creek behind his house and picked them right before going to get her. He'd turned the plates and wine glasses over to keep them clean but he was hoping that didn't spoil the effect.

It said a lot about why he was attracted to her that she had noticed the telescope first.

He gave her a slight nudge in the back with the pizza box and she finished walking up onto the deck. The view was spectacular.

Jack put the pizza boxes down on the bench he kept up on the deck and started opening the chianti.

"I thought we'd eat and then watch the Perseids," he said, lightly, not willing to admit even to himself how much he wanted her to want this. "Neptune and Jupiter are visible tonight too; and Saturn if you're into all those really cool rings."

Sam laughed. "Yeah, Saturn's rings are cool. You wouldn't believe how long it's been since I just enjoyed looking at them."

She went to the table and regarded it for a moment before turning the wine glasses and plates over and sitting down. "This is cool too," she said.

Jack breathed an inward sigh of relief and poured the wine. Then he pulled the bench over so they could reach the pizza and sat down across from her. Sam lifted her wine glass and smiled at him over it. "Thank you. It's a nice surprise."

They ate and talked. Jack shared a few stories from his time in the first Gulf War and she shared a few stories from her time in the second. The sun quietly set as they ate and drank wine and talked. When they were winding down, Jack leaned forward, resting his arms on the table after pushing his plate out of the way.

"Listen," he said, "My son is going to visit next month. I get a week with him before the start of school."

"Okay," she said, cautiously, "Is this your way of telling me you won't be around as much?"

"Umm, no actually. It's my way of asking if you won't mind hanging around with a ten year old boy."

Sam sat back and blinked. "Really?"

Jack took a breath and blew it out. "Yeah. I kind of want to take him camping. I was hoping you'd go with us."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Sam appeared to give it considerable thought and then said, "I don't know much about kids."

Jack shrugged, "Charlie's pretty easy going. I should probably tell you what happened though."

"You don't have to," she said, quickly.

"Charlie," He paused and swallowed. He hadn't meant to do this and wasn't going to, except now he already was because Sam needed to know and he wanted to tell her. "Shot himself with a gun I kept loaded in the house."

"Oh, god, Jack," Sam whispered.

"He's okay now. There was no permanent damage except for some scars. But he was in the hospital for a long time, rehab after that. His mother took him to another state for some of the treatment. She wanted to be closer to her family and I didn't fight it." Five sentences but it was more than he had said to anyone in all the time since it had happened. He hadn't had the strength to fight it, not considering what had almost happened. Sarah had never forgiven him for what had almost happened.

"And you've been alone since then," Sam concluded.

Jack looked up, surprised. She was gazing at him frankly but without any pity. She didn't say _That's terrible _or _Oh, I'm so sorry _the way some people might. Everything that Jack had felt had all been in those five sentences and Sam got it right away. She got it the way someone in the military would get it. He stared at her, his whole body leaning towards her in longing. What he wanted to say was _How can you possibly be here with me?_

What he said was, "Yeah."

Sam shivered and rubbed her arms suddenly. Jack got up right away and got her jacket.

"It gets windy up here," he apologized, "even in the summer."

Sam smiled and slipped into it. Then she pointed and said, "There's Venus. The rest of the stars should be visible soon."

They cleaned up and then took up positions at the telescope. Jack gave her the stool and stood behind her. He watched her adjusting and moving and focusing. He listened to her happily chattering about the planets and advancements in space technology.

This had gotten more complicated than he had originally thought. But then again he wasn't sure exactly what he had originally thought.

Then he realized he'd lost the thread of the conversation, too busy staring at her in wonder and letting her voice drift into his ear and wind around his brain.

"Jack?" She said. Her eyes were wide, as if she was finishing the question in silence, and Jack wanted to answer. But he didn't know what the question was or what to say and a feeling so extreme that it was almost numbing was spreading up his body and down his legs, and he couldn't speak.

The strangest thing was that he could feel Sam reading the words he couldn't even form, reading the longing in his heart.

"Sam," he said, finally, leaning towards her blindly, terrified and hungry.

She found his mouth by the sound of his voice. Her lips touched his. They both froze, on the barest brush of breath, startled and wanting. Then Sam moaned, low and pleading, and leaned in just a little more. Offering, not pushing. Begging, not taking.

His hand came up to cradle her head, her hair a silken tease through his fingers. He kissed her and it was like an explosion of tiny stars between them, as though he had touched the night sky. Shivery sweetness expanded from the touch of their lips, the soft probing of tongues and filled both of them.

When they parted Jack was left transfixed, looking into her eyes and thinking that he had just fallen in love and knowing he couldn't say it. Not yet.

But he had known her all of his life. He had needed her all of his life.

Sam saved him from having to say anything by brushing her cheek against his, nuzzling a little. She laughed then in a way that sounded pleased and relieved and he immediately knew why. They'd passed the 'first kiss' hurdle and it had been awesome. Jack laughed with her. He'd laughed more in the past month with Sam than he had in years. She delighted him; and aroused him. Everything about her aroused him. He knew this was happening way faster than it was supposed to, and every time he started to examine that he stopped, because there was just nothing that felt wrong about this.

"So," she said, softly, "You ever going to show me the _inside_ of this house?"

"Sure," he said, still lightly touching her face with his. "I got a coffee maker, or hot chocolate. We can make some and come back up to watch the Perseids."

Sam sighed, light and wine-flavored in the dark. "That sounds perfect," she said.

(0)


	4. Chapter 4

**A week later.**

Jack got out of the truck and then reached into the backseat to grab the grocery bags of chips and soda. Sam was exiting her side of the truck with the container of potato salad. They were a little late to the party but both of them preferred that. These kinds of events were common in the military and Jack had attended more than his fill of company picnics. He had put in his time, been charming to the families and children and spouses of the people in his care. But he had always left early.

A crowd of people he knew and felt comfortable with was one thing. But he didn't know most of these people. He had chosen not to know them when he retired. To a certain extent he missed the 'brotherhood' of his life in the military. But he carried so much baggage now, it was easier not to inflict it on anyone; and he didn't trust his emotional state anymore.

It threw him a little to see all these people who had gone on with their real lives when his had flat-lined two years ago. These were people who still had the immutable bonds of blood relationship and love.

He walked around the truck to find Sam staring into the bustling park and biting her lower lip. She glanced at him and he got the feeling she was thinking the same thing about wading into all that activity. He could see the reluctance in her eyes. Jack _knew_ she was thinking the same thing in fact, though it was possibly for different reasons.

When they had first started seeing each other, it had taken him about five minutes to realize how brilliant she was. Being in this kind of situation required a sort of 'dumbing down' of her thought process. It was something she could do and do well, but she'd rather be in a lab tinkering with something and he knew it.

"We don't have to stay long," he said, quietly.

She glanced at him and said, "Having second thoughts about coming with me to this thing?"

"Nope," he said, instantly. Then he shrugged. "I know how it is; and I just like spending time with you."

_How it is_ was that it wasn't a good idea for Sam to show up alone at these things. Bringing a 'plus one' was much better.

They had a secluded corner of a local state park for this event. The military reserved the same spot every year. It was shady and grassy. The noise washed over them - the murmur of lots of voices and scattered laughter, kids yelling, shouting from the softball game that was in process. The green of the park was overwhelmed by the amount of red, white and blue. Balloons and streamers marked off the territory of all various squadrons and shops. It seemed like everyone from Peterson was here.

His statement made her smile and say, "So then? Ready?"

Jack took a breath and let it out. "Whenever you are."

(0)

Sam walked into the picnic scanning the crowd for her father. It wasn't so much the crowd she minded. It was facing her father and standing on the uncertain, rocky terrain that was her relationship.

At least she wasn't showing up alone – though Jacob had never been _that_ parent. He had never wanted to see her married and having babies. His ambition has always been for his daughter to be an astronaut, which Sam thought had more to do with wishing his daughter was a son.

He had actively hated Jonas Hanson. So at least she wasn't showing up with him. She had no idea what his reaction was going to be to Jack – a retired Special Forces officer. But she suspected he might be willing to give Jack a little more courtesy. She hoped so, because she had already figured out that this was the guy she had been fantasizing about meeting in the rare times when she let herself do that.

Most of her life Sam had been laser-focused on her career. But every once in a while she'd tried to imagine who she wanted to be with if she wasn't alone.

She'd concluded that it would be a guy more than a few years older than her, taller than her, a lot stronger than her. He would have to 'get' the whole military career. He'd have to challenge her intellectually. Jack had been Special Forces – a job that required high intelligence and a keen gift for listening to his instinct, as well as tactical analysis. Virile, masculine, but a little boyish sometimes, with a great sense of understated humor, a sharp wit that hid a keen intelligence. Ruggedly handsome.

Jack was all of that and more. He had a slight vulnerability about him too, from the loss of his first marriage and the distance from his son imposed on him by the accident and divorce. She'd heard him on the phone with Charlie a few times and he clearly adored the kid. So there was that too.

Sam suspected that Jack's initial reason for joining the Air Force was so he could fly; and he flew like he was part of the machinery. Then someone had decided that he had more talent for jumping out of them and into dangerous Black Operations. He had probably seen the worst live combat situations she could imagine. He had probably saved a lot of people and helped a lot of people; but he had most likely killed a whole lot more than he had saved or helped. He was a live weapon, physically and mentally.

She also suspected that even retired, even put behind a desk for ten years that would still always be true.

It was a huge turn on for her.

After almost two months Sam was definitely ready for a more intimate relationship, but she appreciated why he wanted to take it slow. Jack's wife had left _him, _not the other way around; and she had just broken off an engagement.

The problem now was that after two months in his regular company, she wanted Jack so much it hurt.

She was jarred out of her thoughts by the sound of her father's voice calling her name. "Sammie!"

They looked up to see General Jacob Carter waving to them from a table under a canopy of trees.

"That your Dad?" Jack asked quietly.

"Yes," Sam said, "I warned you about who he is."

"It's cool," Jack said, "I gave up being intimidated by Generals even before I met West." She shot him a look and he immediately soothed, "I'll be good! I promise."

She shook her head ruefully because really when it came right down to it, Jacob would probably prefer a retired AF Colonel with a little sass. She doubted Jack could be _that_ good for that long.

"It's not too late to change your mind," she pointed out.

But Jacob had stood up and was walking towards them and Jack said, "Yeah. It kind of is."

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	5. Chapter 5

In spite of Jack's obvious – to her – lack of enthusiasm for being there, she watched as one man after another waved or called greetings to him. He walked beside her with a casual swagger, a confidence that belied how uncomfortable he must feel in the sudden company of so many families. They were surrounded by it: the thoughtless touches, the sometimes sweet kisses on the cheek, couples sitting so close they were practically in each other's laps. All the things that spoke of familial bonds, strong and unbreakable.

But Jack answered each greeting with his own friendly wave, and called back with apparent pleasure, some of his greetings bordering on the ribald or insulting. He seemed completely fluent in the language of the military unit, calm and approachable in this steady stream of old teammates being glad to see him. _What a gift that must be,_ Sam thought, _to be this good at kindness and leadership and connections_.

"Did you serve with all of them?" she asked.

"Yes," Jack answered, "or their brothers or sisters."

Without any kind of warning, Jack suddenly reached over and took her hand in his. Sam blinked and had to look down to make sure it was real. When it was a confirmed sighting she couldn't quite stop from squeezing her fingers around his to make sure he wouldn't let go. They had never held hands before. But perhaps now, in this time of both of them feeling a little off-kilter there was no better thing than to hold hands. It seemed almost instinctive to turn to each other for comfort and protection.

Perhaps there was also a little bit of possessiveness in the way Jack was holding her, with her father coming ever closer, eating the ground between them with his long, military stride.

Sam knew she had strong, capable hands. But it felt like Jack had her hand completely engulfed in his, truly clasped, with the pulse in each wrist beating in sync. She had given him her hand willingly and, with a thudding heart, she realized she never wanted him to let it go. She gripped his and felt his callouses, his bones and his strength.

They stopped walking when they were finally face to face with her father, but Jack didn't let go of her hand until Jacob said, "Hi, kiddo," and leaned in for a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, Dad," she answered. "This is—"

"I know who he is," Jacob interrupted. Sam sighed and prepared for the testosterone-driven pissin' contest that was about to start. "Colonel Jack O'Neill."

Jack gave Jacob a salute that wasn't exactly military-proper but was respectful in its own jaunty way. He didn't speak until Jacob returned it. "I'm not surprised you know who I am, General," he said.

Jacob gave him a hard glare. "That impressed with your own career, Colonel?" he asked.

"Not at all, sir," Jack said, smoothly. "I've been seeing your daughter. If Sam was my daughter I'd sure as hell want to know who the jackass was that thought he was good enough for her."

Sam managed to turn her sudden bark of laughter into a cough. She stared at her father with wide innocent eyes.

"And you'd be that jackass?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, sir. Sorry to disappoint."

Jacob swept Jack with a long look, assessing, measuring. Jack bore it with stoic dignity and a kind of smug humor that would have bordered on insolence at any other time.

"A lot of your service record is redacted, even for me," Jacob observed.

"Yes, sir," Jack said. "Sorry about that too."

They stood there with the two men eyeing each other for a while, and then Sam made an irritated sound, took Jack's hand again and said, "Can we just go get some watermelon, or a burger or something?"

"Sure, sweetheart," Jacob said. "Right this way."

He turned and walked back towards the group around the picnic table. As they got closer, Sam could see that they were mostly men he had served with and their families. Sam looked anxiously up at Jack. All of these people were going to introduce their wives, their sons and daughters, and talk about family. Sam hadn't thought of that when she'd asked him to come – that all of this might be a sharp reminder of all that he had lost, what had slipped from his grasp one quiet afternoon.

She slowed down, forcing him to slow down with her.

"We don't have to stay long," she reminded him, echoing his words from a short time ago.

"Stay as long as you need. I'm fine," he answered because he saw the worry and understanding in her eyes and he was touched someplace so deep in his soul he had forgotten it existed.

"Are you sure?"

Jack shrugged, smiled in a lopsided, goofy way. "I'm here with you."

It made her heart jump expectantly. A broad happy smile answered his.

"Sammie!" Jacob called.

Sam sighed. "Coming, Dad!"

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	6. Chapter 6

At some point, Jack got talked into a game of tag football and Sam wandered off to talk to some people she knew and hadn't seen in a while. The game eventually turned into tackle, which Jack had known would happen, and at that point he bowed out. The last thing he wanted was another knee surgery. He grabbed a beer from a cooler and found a shady spot under a tree. He sat down and scratched a spot between his shoulder blades with the bark, then closed his eyes and pulled the brim of his ball cap down for a moment.

He was aware of Sam coming to join him but he didn't immediately open his eyes. He knew what she was going to do before she did it. He smiled a little at the way she stepped in close and sat down so that she was touching him – shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, leg to leg. She had been doing it all day, sitting close to him, nudging his foot with hers under the table.

Jack reached over and found her hand by instinct. As their fingers entwined it felt right, comfortable and yet exciting at the same time. He opened his eyes to find her gazing into his and lifted her hand to his lips for a soft kiss. Sam inched a little closer. All the things he had only permitted himself to think about when he was alone at night, when he was on the verge of sleep, came surging forward. It wasn't mere physical desire. It was something deep and much more profound. A slight flush moved up into Sam's cheeks and he knew she was feeling the same thing.

Jack looked into Sam's brilliant eyes and said, "Hey."

"Hey," she said back, because that was how they had been greeting each other for weeks. "Are you just about ready to get out of here?"

"I can be if you are," he answered.

"Yeah, I think I've put in enough of an appearance. Thank you, by the way."

"For?"

"The way you handled my dad," she said, pressing her shoulder even closer to his. "Most guys try to 'out-man' him. That never works."

Jack didn't answer right away. He took a few more swallows from the beer bottle and then set it down between two tree roots. "He's a good guy, your dad. I never met him before, but I knew him by reputation. Knowing what I do, 'out-manning' him isn't something I would ever try to do."

Sam smiled, put her forehead on his bicep and said, "I appreciate that. I think he might actually like you."

"Wonders never cease," Jack answered, sardonically.

Then there weren't any words he could find to say. So he simply leaned forward and fit his mouth over Sam's. He closed his eyes just before their lips met because all he wanted was the sensation.

Then they were kissing, and Sam's lips were warm and eager. This was real. This was the miracle of a second chance that he didn't deserve. Jack opened his mouth and tasted her, tasted Sam kissing him. For some reason it was better than the other times, it was more intense.

Then Jack realized it was because Sam wasn't holding back, at all. She was sending him a very clear message and Jack understood it immediately. After the first electric, shocking moment of understanding, after his heart had resumed beating, Jack put his arms around her. Sam tilted her head back and stroked her hands down his back, and then around to rest on his waist.

When they stopped kissing she was staring up at him adoringly. "Ready to go home?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. Her voice was shaking. "I want you to come back to my place. I want you to stay."

"Stay?"

"The night," she said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I just know I don't want to wake up without you next to me, not again. Not ever."

Jack took a breath and let it out slowly, "In that case, we can, you know, just sleep. We don't have to, you know—"

Sam leaned in to kiss him again. "Yes," she whispered, "we do."

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	7. Chapter 7

They had kissed before, but this time they had kissed like longtime lovers – holding back from an instinctive passionate response because of the picnic swirling around them. Then she had invited him back to her house with absolutely no gray area about what she wanted them to do.

She had been sending him the same message for a couple of weeks, but Jack was still hesitant. For one thing, it had been a long long time since he'd—

"It's um," he began, gripping the steering wheel, "been kind of a long time for…for me. Since, I, you know—"

"It's okay," Sam said. "I kind of figured. We'll be fine, Jack."

He cleared his throat. There wasn't really any more he needed to say, but for some reason he could tell Sam anything and often found himself blurting out things he'd never said to anyone. Ever.

"Sara and I were going through a rocky stage a few months before Charlie's accident, and that didn't make it any better. But I was always faithful to her. Then, after the whole…mess, I was diagnosed as clinically depressed." He stopped and glanced at her, gauging her reaction.

It was the damnedest thing; she never seemed to meet any of his stories with anything but open acceptance.

"That okay with you?" he asked, hesitantly.

Sam blinked in surprise. "With you being clinically depressed? No! It's not okay that you had to go through that. But your reaction is hardly surprising. Of course you were depressed! You didn't need a shrink to tell you that."

"No, I didn't," Jack said. "But the reason I'm telling you this is so you know there's nothing to worry about. Faithful to my wife for nine years and no one since then." _No one like you, no one I've wanted at all._

Sam nodded. "Okay. Yeah, we should talk about that I guess. After I broke it off with Jonas I had myself tested because it occurred to me that he was maybe not as exclusive as I was. Tested clean. No one since then. I, um, went back on birth control after I talked to you that first night."

It was his turn to blink in surprise. "You did?" When he looked at her she was blushing. A soft pink sunset stained her cheeks.

"Um, when I saw you that night at O'Malley's I _had_ to talk to you. The Stargate was a really convenient excuse, but it wasn't the reason. I've never reacted to anyone like that. But I couldn't let you walk out without talking to you, spending time with you."

"Yeah," Jack said, softly. "I wanted to talk to you too, but I couldn't figure out how, and thought maybe it wasn't a good idea. I wasn't even sure…I'm still not sure."

"I am," Sam said.

"Oh you are?" he said, lightly, with a lopsided smile.

He looked over just in time to see her beautiful gaze slide over him with deep appreciation. "Yes, I'm sure," she said, in a low voice that couldn't be mistaken for anything but seduction. "Jack."

It was the same reaction he'd had when she'd said his name in the coffee shop the night they had met.

"Jeezus," Jack muttered as all the blood in his body did a swan dive into his crotch. "Honey, I'm trying to drive here." His heart was pounding in response. He felt lightheaded. She was literally breathtaking.

Sam chuckled lightly and stretched as if she was quite pleased with herself. She gave him a smug smile. "I think we're going to be just fine."


	8. Chapter 8

They stopped for groceries and Jack picked up a few things he'd need if he was staying the night. The idea gave him a dry-mouthed sense of anticipation. Following Sam down the aisles, leaning on the cart, was something so normal, so domestic. It was something he had forgotten. For reasons unknown he decided to put his arm around her waist and put a gentle kiss behind her ear while she was picking out cereal. It made her smile, even chuckle a little, and she bumped her hip against his in response.

Another impulse made him grab a bouquet of wildflowers and put them in the cart right before they checked out. Sam saw them and blushed again. But her eyes were full of happiness and a wicked sparkle of seduction.

They drove home in silence and unpacked groceries and then Sam paused and looked into Jack's unreadably dark eyes, turned and walked down the hall to the bedroom.

She didn't hear him follow and she entered the room alone. She drew the drapes, turned on a dim night light. She wasn't quite sure what to do, strip or turn down the bed. She was reaching for the hem of her t-shirt, arms crossed in front of her when she heard him come into the room. The door closed with a soft click.

"Don't do that," he whispered. "Let me."

Sam turned towards the sound of his voice. With the door closed and the drapes drawn, the room was lit only by the nightlight. She could still see the dark shape of Jack walking towards her. Light was slipping in under the door from the hall, leaking in around the edges of the blinds, and her eyes were quickly adjusting. But even if she couldn't have seen Jack she would have felt him. Jack's presence was unmistakable, a palpable aura of strength and charm and confidence. When Jack's body touched hers, molded to hers, Sam shivered and then drew in a shaky breath. Jack's hands covered her hands for a moment. But he waited until hers fell away and gave him permission.

He gently pulled her shirt up and over her head, holding it bunched up in his fist against her bared waist as he dropped kisses onto her shoulder.

"We can turn the lights on," she said.

"This is good," Jack answered, kissing his way up her neck to her ear. "Pretty much have you memorized anyway."

She smiled, reached back and touched his face. "Memorized?"

"I've always known you, somehow," he answered. His fingers had gone under her bra strap, easing it down. "I don't need to see to know."

"You sure you're not reverse engineering some private fantasy?" Sam asked, reaching back and unhooking her bra for him, giving her arms a little shake so that it fell off onto the floor.

"No," Jack said, turning her around, resisting the temptation to caress her breasts. Not yet. Not quite yet.

Sam pulled Jack's T-shirt out of his waistband, lifted up and tugged it over his head. There was a pause, a breathless moment of wonder and concentration, as they cradled each other, hands moving up and over shoulder blades and down again. Sam leaned up and gave him a gentle kiss that pressed the tips of her breasts against his chest. Jack inhaled a little and then caught a low groan as her hands came to rest on his belt buckle.

Without hesitation, but with great care, Sam tugged the bight through the loops, freed it from the tongue, and eased it open. A belt being opened was an erotic turn-on for Jack. The promise and deliberate intent was there when someone did it for him. There was control and intimacy when someone allowed him to do it – the rattle of the buckle, the wanton invitation of the leather ends hanging open. When Sam's fingers slipped under his waistband to twist the snap on his jeans, his abs contracted in a small spasm of arousal, and when she took hold of the zipper's tab and slid it down, he groaned at the slow care in it, the vibrations running into his groin from the releasing teeth.

"Sam," Jack whispered, a low expulsion of air, tension and desire, the first indication he'd given of how much this turned him on, how much the deliberate slowness was costing. His hands fell onto the waistband of her jeans, fingers a hairsbreadth from the clasp.

"Keep going," Sam said, softly. To emphasize her words she slipped her fingers inside his jeans and briefs and gave an encouraging push downward.

Jack grabbed her wrist. "Wait," he said, "There's something I need to tell you first."

"I thought we talked about all the important stuff," she said. Her fingers were running appreciatively over the muscles of his chest and abs.

"We did, but we skipped one thing."

"What was that?"

Jack tipped her face up to his, his fingers gentle on her jaw. They could see each other pretty well now, eyes finally adapted to the dim light, battle-heightened senses on full alert. The deep shadows of the room gave the moment a smoky intimacy.

"I love you," Jack said, sounding equally stunned and amused. "I know it sounds crazy but I'm really too old for crazy. I love you. I'm pretty sure I have since the first time I sat down across from you."

Sam inhaled and then choked out his name. "Jack! Oh my god."

"You don't have to say it back," he said. "I just wanted you to know because I've never gone to bed with a woman I wasn't in love with, and that includes you."

"Jack," Sam said, again, "it's okay. I love you too."

"You don't have to—"

"Stop!" Sam said, pushing forward. "I wouldn't be standing in my bedroom with you half undressed if I didn't love you. It doesn't make sense to me either. There's no science to explain this. So I've given up trying to explain it and I've decided to just feel it. I wasn't going to say anything. I didn't want you to feel pressured. But I love you. I think I always have. If I had met you anywhere or any other time, I would still love you."

They stared into each other's shocked, passionate eyes for a moment longer and then surged forward so quickly they nearly toppled over. Jack got his arms around her and his feet braced just in time. They were groping and kissing and trying to shed the last of their clothes all at the same time. They almost lost their balance again for a moment wrestling with socks but then they were all pressed up against each other in a shock of heat and flesh.

In a blazing moment when reality seemed to be intensified, Jack and Sam swore they could feel every square centimeter of each other – every smooth curve and raised scar, every muscle and bone, as if their bodies were flash-burning together, as if they would carry the memory of this moment seared in their skin forever. Sam went up on her tiptoes and then hooked a leg around Jack's thigh, trying to climb him, twisting her fingers in his hair. Jack's hands went down her waist, passed her hips and then under her bottom, lifting her up.

They went from barely touching to trying to touch everything all at once, accelerating like being flung off the deck of a carrier, catshot into open space. Sam's hands went up over his head and neck and shoulders, slid down the muscled planes of his back and back up to thread through his hair. Jack's hands stayed under her, supporting her. He tried to curl forward, his abs contracting while his hips kicked forward and up. Sam let out a breathless laughing sound and rubbed, pushing her body against his, teasing, not shifting into the position he was seeking. She saw an exasperated laughter in Jack's eyes as he growled in response and pushed up, trying to connect.

They were right next to the bed. It was an easy sideways fall to the mattress and it looked like they might not make it. Jack wanted to turn and point them in that direction, at least get started, but they were locked together like iron and lodestone. He knew they were going to have to do something and soon. The contact was too sweet, too good, too sensual and perfect, but it wasn't enough. It was close – so close - but not enough,

It was Sam who put her hands on his chest and pushed away.

"Jack," Sam gasped with a torturous brush of lips over his, trying to disengage, breathing into his stunned, pleading moan.

He let her slip back to her feet, still holding her as if she was air and food and water all in one.

She dragged him back a few steps and pulled him down onto the bed. They tumbled onto it laughing, groaning, gasping for air, reaching for each other, rolling over and clawing at sheets, scrambling to get the quilt down and out of the way.

When her head hit the pillow his hand was already there to catch her. They slid into a comfortable embrace, as if they fell into bed together all the time. He pushed up tight against her, put his leg over hers and began worshipping every sweet inch of her with his mouth and hands. He moved slowly, delivering a veritable sampler of his talents and promises of limitless ecstasy. Sam was still pressing against him, whimpering and writhing under the unbearable stimulation of Jack's hands and mouth.

It was inevitable that her hand finally found his rigid erection, boldly wrapping around it as if to possess it. The pressure of her fingers felt so good that his legs went weak and a hard shudder went up his spine. She rubbed two fingers into the sweet spot below the head as if she had always known where to find it. Jack gasped with the pleasure of it. Sam smiled and he could feel it against his neck. Her fingers circled and he bit down on another groan. Sam's hand – god – competent and assured, tender and wondering, strong and gentle. Her touch was perfect.

"Sam," he moaned, "Sam." Then he laughed, "I swear I used to be good at this. I want this–" Jack paused to kiss her temple, her cheek, the corner of her mouth, as if he were pleading for something rather than promising, "I want this to last all night, to last forever…."

His tender, gravelly, aroused voice was too much. She leaned back and the shock of eye contact was intense. "Jack," she said, urgently, "I think we've both had as much of the tease as we can stand. I love you. I want you. Just for gods' sakes – Jack."

She was pushing to get under him, eager and anxious. Shaking Jack lifted up and let her move until she was there and he was kneeling between her legs. The position of sexual submission was already almost too much for him. He paused one moment to look into her eyes but all he saw was welcome.

"Sam," he said and brought them together.

Sam rose up under him like a wave, a surge of muscle and bone and heat. Her arms went up around his neck. Her fingers threaded into the hair on the back of his skull. "Oh god, oh my god, oh my god," she whispered over and over.

Jack swallowed hard and watched her carefully in the dim light, watching for any signs that this was not what she wanted or that he had moved the wrong way. But all he saw was a kind of ethereal joy and fierce passion, a flash of a wicked smile and soft blue eyes shining adoration.

"Jack," she said, again, urgent, demanding. Her eyes closed and she attempted to shimmy down. "Jack!"

Jack thrust forward, all the way, sank deep, as far as he could. Burning-tight. Slick. Hot.

Sam pressed up and said, "Oh god, oh god," gasped and groaned and ran her hands down his back. "Yes, yes…oh. Jack."

Jack rolled into her, rocked deep into the heat inside of her. Over and over until she caught the rhythm and moved with him. Jack got lost in it, overwhelmed by it and holy fuck how long had it really been for him because he wasn't going to last much longer.

When Sam turned her head and tilted it up, asking for a kiss that included the soft stroke of her tongue against his, Jack thought it might really be possible to die from happiness. She stopped moving with him and just held still, poised in frozen ecstasy, lifted up into the muscled density of Jack's body, the supple flex of Jack moving over her, moving in her. He made love to her deeply, beautifully, masterfully. She had made one high, shocked cry and Jack had zeroed in on that motion, that spot. Sam clung to him as he increased steadily into a deeper, firmer stimulation, focusing on the target, angling into it, pushing, pushing. It was very slow and very deep, a throbbing intensity of fullness. The harder the thrusts got, the shorter the interval between them. He didn't pull out to thrust, he pushed down hard from where he was, very hard.

"Oh god, Jack," Sam gasped, "I–I…uh! Oh."

It was a helpless sigh of surrender. Jack pushed into her with all the weight and strength of his powerful body and the universe imploded.

Jack wrapped her convulsing body in his warmth and his weight and his strength. Her ear was under his cheek and he turned his head to murmur something. Her nails were digging into his back. Her legs were closed around his hips as her entire body tried to meld with his. Her moans were high and helpless, punctuated with shocked gasps.

Jack came in the middle of it, with no warning. Locked on Sam, he pulsed deep, and he couldn't tell whose spasms were whose anymore; there was no beginning or end to them, they were one blended ecstasy, one body moving in quick small uncontrollable thrusts, one body shaking and clenching. Slowing, panting. Together. One melted, helpless heap.

After a very, very long time, Sam whispered, "Holy shit."

At some point her hands had dropped from his back to his arms. Her body had gone limp under his, boneless. "Yeah," Jack said. He let his body slump a little, but still held his weight on his knees and elbows, breathed in with Sam and then out as their hearts calmed. "Yeah."

"I love you," she said, in a soft sigh of happy amazement, and when she smiled Jack could feel it.

"Yeah," Jack said, low and easy, as if they had been together for years. "I love you too."

He knew he was going to collapse soon, so he eased over, withdrew carefully. He didn't want to hurt her, but she gave a soft moan that sounded like pleasure and then did it again when he gathered her into his arms and settled them in a protective tangle of arms and legs.

He didn't know what to say after that, so he covered her mouth with his own, a gentle press, a rephrasing of the declaration. Sam's lips went soft and parted. Jack sank deeply into all her sweetness.

They kissed for a long time, a warm undemanding slide of tongues, a slow shared exploration. It seemed like something from fantasy to both of them.

But then again, not a fantasy suddenly made real. This was reality finally being what it was meant to be.

Sam sighed and snuggled close, tucking under his chin and closing her eyes. Jack managed to get the sheet and blanket over them, holding her in the sheltered cocoon.

"I think we forgot to get coffee," Sam said, in a drowsy, half-asleep voice.

It was a moment so normal and domestic, so long-forgotten, that Jack couldn't breathe at first. He kissed her temple and managed to finally say, "I'll take you out to breakfast."

"'Kay," she said and then he could tell by the sudden relaxed weight of her in his arms that she had fallen asleep.

He hugged her tighter and fell asleep.

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	9. Chapter 9

"So what are you doing tonight?" Jack asked, into the phone.

"_I told you this morning, laundry, washing my hair, catching up on email. I should call my brother."_

Jack hesitated, "So, nothing you couldn't do here." He spoke with a mixture of affection and hope and bemusement. He'd kept busy all day, since talking to her on the phone before she had left for work. Being busy made him less aware of the soft, sweet ache in his heart and the unfamiliar vibration in his body when Sam was absent. He missed the sweet strength of her, the bright enthusiasm and burning intelligence.

He was deeply lonely when she wasn't there. Lonely again; maybe even worse than before

"_My laundry?" _She sounded just as amused.

"How much can you have? You're one person; and I do have a washer and dryer."

"_Laundry soap?"_

"Yeah there's something down there; or we'll go get whatever you want. I can come get you in the truck. We can pick up take out. It's pretty clear tonight so we can go up on the roof or there's a baseball game on."

"_I thought hockey was your sport?"_

"It is but Charlie loves baseball. I watch so I know what the hell he is talking about."

"_Baseball_?"

There was a shrug in his voice, "I was gone a lot. Sara was a softball player, on a couple of really good teams actually. She got him started on baseball."

"_Ah."_

"So," Jack said, slowly, "Can I come get you?"

He died a thousand times in the very brief moment that passed before she asked. "_Sure."_

"Great!" He said, too quickly, and then stumbled through the next few sentences, "I'd like you to pack whatever you need for the weekend and stay, maybe. It's OK if you don't want that, I'm not …I mean... Just say yes or no. So I'll…you know, know what to get in for groceries and stuff." He winced a little when he was finished.

"_Yes_," Sam said, instantly this time.

Jack blinked, swallowed and then said, "Great. I'll be there in half an hour?"

"_I might not be ready that fast," _she cautioned, "_but sure, you can help me pack."_

For a weekend? How much can there be? I could pack for the weekend in less than three minutes. Jack wondered. But hey even if Sam was military she was still very much a woman, so who knew. "Sure," he said.

"_See you then. Love you." _She clicked off the phone before he could reply.

Jack gazed at the receiver for a moment and then smiled a little. "Love you, too," he said, out loud.

(0)

Sam heard his truck pull into the driveway and ran to the window just in time to watch him exit out the driver's door. He was wearing jeans and a casual jacket and his sunglasses with a ball cap pulled over his head. He looked loose, superficially casual, but somehow still military. There was something dangerous and armored about him, as if he was never unguarded.

She ran to the door before he could even knock. She had intended to toss herself bodily into his arms but something in his expression stopped her. He took off his sunglasses and stepped into the foyer. Sam had no choice but to take a step back, make room for him in her house and in her life.

Uncertain suddenly Sam dipped her head and looked up at him from under lashes. Jack laid a hand on the side of her face. Brown eyes explored her, calm, curious, a little awed, with a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. A thumb smoothed across her lower lip. Sam's heart started to race. Jack closed the distance between them with a shift of weight. His thumb stroked again, and her lips parted. He tilted Sam's chin up, just a little. Sam knew what it meant and it wasn't like they hadn't kissed before. But this was the first time of just kissing since they had made love and it had more layers. She knew that before Jack's head tilted, before she felt his breath on her lips. Jack paused. Not hesitating; just savoring the moment.

She gave Jack her mouth and at first the press of lips was almost chaste, reverent. Jack held it gently and his eyes slid closed. He tugged on her upper lip and then the lower one, between his, releasing them only after a few soft stroking tugs. His tongue traced just inside them, asking and when she opened wider he pressed forward, pressed his tongue into her mouth and found hers waiting.

Sam sighed softly into a low sound of pleasure. The kiss was sweetly erotic, a slow exploration and though his mouth was gentle it was unmistakably masculine. It sent a sweet warmth coursing through her body, a slow gentle arousal.

Then Jack drew back with a last, soft touch of his lips to hers and touched her cheek again.

"Hi," he said.

Sam was too dazed and stunned to respond in an immediately coherent way. She put her hand on his chest and held it there for a moment, to steady herself and just to touch him.

She finally managed a slow sexy smile and said, "Hi, yourself."

"You sure about comin' over?" He asked.

"Completely," she said,

"All packed?"

"Almost," she said, "any chance you have a hair dryer?"

Jack looked sideways and let out a long slow breath. "Maybe. From the 80s I think. It probably still works."

Sam gave him a dry look and shook her head. "I'll just go get mine," she said, slipping out of his space and heading for her bedroom.

"You need anything else?" He called after her.

"Are we planning on going up on the roof?"

"It's supposed to be pretty clear, but you never know this time of the year."

"Then grab my sweatshirt jacket from the hall closet?"

"Sure!"

Twenty minutes later they were in his truck, listening to classical music (which still surprised her) and heading to the supermarket. Sam was scribbling a list of what they needed and making suggestions based on what she knew he probably had: stale bread, beer, questionable rice pudding, a stack of Top Ramen, etc.

"What do you have for breakfast?" She asked.

"Coffee, toast, eggs, some cereal."

"What cereal?"

"Oatmeal. Fruit Loops, I think."

"Fruit Loops? Isn't that a kid's cereal."

"I like them," he hesitated, then added slowly, "Charlie liked them; likes them, still. I think."

Sam put the pen and paper in her lap and gave him her full concentration. It was always hard for Jack to talk about Charlie. She didn't ask. She didn't make any comment at all. She just waited.

He took his eyes off the road for a bare moment and glanced at her. "We can get whatever you want."

"I like oatmeal," she said, lightly.

"Oatmeal it is."

"Or we can have the Fruit Loops."

Jack glanced at her, looked away, looked back and smiled a little. "Okay. That sounds good too," he said.

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	10. Chapter 10

They spent the weekend, and nearly every one after that for the next three weeks, at Jack's house eating, talking, sometimes watching TV sprawled on the couch in a lazy tangle. Sam discovered the man cave in the basement complete with a ping pong table and foosball hockey table, a set of free weights and a work out bench that explained his muscled chest and arms and stellar abs. He played a killer game of ping pong. Sometimes they worked out together. Sometimes they played foosball and he let her win.

She helped him do yard work at his place; and sometimes they went to her house and he helped her do some planting and pulled out a bush from in front of her bedroom that had gotten much too high, fixed a rain gutter and helped her work on the motorcycle she was trying to restore.

But mostly they hung out at Jack's.

She read a Tom Clancy novel she'd found in his nightstand while he cut the grass. They watched baseball and he explained the finer points of the game and she found she liked it a lot. She liked that there were multiple ways it could end – not just with a high score when the buzzer sounded.

They grilled steaks and ate them with the potato salad she had made. They played chess on his lower deck while the sun set and the creek drifted passed them in a lazy, late summer flow.

They washed his truck and that would have taken a much shorter amount of time if he hadn't started a water fight that had ended with them both soaked and laughing as he manhandled her playfully up against the front of the truck, legs spread, one heel braced on the bumper as Jack kissed her and pressed his long, lean body up against her.

At night she fell asleep with Jack casually snugged up against her back, her head under his chin and their legs entwined after making love.

She listened to him talking on the phone with Charlie and came to understand the depth of Jack's love for his son, the guilt he still felt and would always feel about the accident, his sorrow of the loss of his 'family'.

Sam watched as Jack let her more and more into his life, into the shadows of it. He kept most of the world at bay with a distance of command that was natural to him. He used it like a force field. But with Sam he was softer somehow. On the phone with Charlie he was more vulnerable. He told her what he could of some of the rougher things that had happened to him in Special Forces, but she knew there was a lot he didn't tell her; and a lot more that he couldn't tell her. She accepted that. It came with the job.

Eventually Sam discovered that driving home from the Base after her shift she didn't want to go back to her cramped and quiet rancher. She longed for the safety and welcome of Jack's house, the way it was set back from the road, the main room nestled at the back under the trees and along the creek, the way the telescope deck seemed so oddly isolated and intimate even though the house was set in a fairly crowded neighborhood.

She wanted nothing so much every night but to go home to Jack, eat dinner, talk about her day, sack out on the couch snuggled up against him and doze off while he channel surfed.

It dawned on her finally that this was the way Jack was courting her. Not with flowers and expensive restaurants, or movies and popcorn. He was courting her with his ordinary existence, showing her how good they were together in actual real life. He was telling her what he was like, what life would be like if they were together all the time.

Six months ago she had been thinking about going back to the astronaut training program. The application was still on the corner of her desk. She was wasting her skills teaching at the Academy and she knew it. Her father was getting more and more insistent about getting a real answer when he asked what her future plans were.

She didn't want to leave Jack, and she didn't want to keep teaching. But she didn't know what he would say if she asked him to go to Houston with her.

They would be at his cabin in Minnesota at the end of the month. Jack was going to Connecticut to pick Charlie up, and then taking him to the cabin for two days of father/son time. Then Sam was joining them for the rest of the week.

She'd talk to him about it then. It was perfectly obvious they had something really unique, really wonderful. It was worth putting a career on hold for, but not forever. She knew she'd get bored and restless eventually, even with someone as perfect as Jack.

If only they would let her get back to studying the Stargate. It was completely unfair, since it was the most amazing piece of technology she had ever encountered _and_ she could stay in Colorado Springs. That probably wasn't going to happen so she wasn't going to have to decide.

The only thing she knew was that she could no longer imagine a future without Jack O'Neill.

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	11. Chapter 11

Samantha first met Charlie O'Neill was in a small airport as she exited her connecting flight from St. Paul/Minneapolis to St. Cloud, Minnesota. He was taller than she had expected but that probably made sense considering his DNA. He was also very blond and looked very much like his mother. The only part of him that seemed to be from Jack was his eyes – large and dark and serious. He looked at her with those eyes, measuring her, uncertain and Sam felt a strange and unfamiliar tug against her heart.

Sam knew that she loved her brother's children. But there was something about this ten year-old boy who was an extension of the man she had fallen in love with; something that had nothing to do with biology.

Charlie wasn't shy, for all the uncertainty she had seen in his eyes. He was talkative in the rented truck, sharing willingly when he was asked questions. He was smart and very articulate, observant of his world and quick to point things out to her when they drove by them.

They stopped at a grocery store and picked up food to eat on the way and to have a picnic at a state park. Once at the park, Jack made sure Charlie ate first and then let him go work off some energy on the playground. Sam cleaned up some of the mess from their meal as Jack kept an eye on Charlie for a little bit, silently watching as his son took less three minutes to get all the other kids together for some kind of group game.

"Is he always like that?" Sam asked.

"Like what?"

"A leader," she said, "someone who can bring a mix of strangers together?"

"Yeah," Jack drawled and then shot her a meaningful look. "Don't read more into than there is. His mother is like that too. Everywhere she goes – softball, PTA, Cub Scouts – she winds up in charge of something."

Sam tried not to feel jealous of Sara O'Neill. Jack had never given her any indication that he wanted to get back with her. She forced a smile and said, "So he gets it from both sides."

Jack hesitated, giving her an inscrutable look and then snorted out a laugh. "Yeah, I guess he does."

Lightly, Sam said, "He's very bright, very well spoken."

Jack shrugged and answered just as lightly, "Only child. He's the center of attention with only adults to talk to at home and he learned pretty fast to fit into an established relationship and careers."

"And your career took you away for long periods of time," Sam surmised. When he scowled a little she said, "It's okay. I'm an Air Force brat, remember? My Dad's absences have nothing to do with my strained relationship with him. Because he was gone so much I grew up pretty independent and determined to take care of myself."

"That sounds like Charlie too," Jack said, "He's been insisting _I can do it myself_ since he was two."

They fell into an easy silence. Jack continued to watch Charlie but he got up to help Sam with the garbage and packing up the cooler.

"He's too curious," Jack said, finally, sitting back down on the bench. Sam sat down next to him, hip to hip, pushing her leg and foot against his. "That's why he was in the bedroom with my handgun. Now I don't think for a moment it was the first time. We'd made something forbidden and it made him too curious. He doesn't remember the accident so it didn't help him learn anything. He comes off as so mild, easygoing like his mother; but he doesn't recognize limits and that's a problem."

"Limits are artificial constructions we set around ourselves in order to create a comfort zone. We want to feel safe. So we make up things that we think will protect us," Sam said, musingly, "The problem is the safety is also artificial."

"Yeah," Jack drawled slowly. Then he said more briskly, "Listen, there's a skeet shooting set up at the cabin. I'd like you to help me teach Charlie to shoot."

Sam looked at him, startled. She opened her mouth, closed it and then inhaled a little. "Okay."

"I have to stop making it something forbidden or it's just going to happen again; maybe not with guns but with something else."

"Like the spinning wheel in Sleeping Beauty," Sam said.

Jack blinked. "What?"

"In the story Sleeping Beauty," Sam rushed on, "The king has all the spinning wheels in the kingdom burned and bans their use. So when she sees one on her 16th birthday she touches it and falls under the sleeping spell. If she'd just grown up surrounded by them, she wouldn't have been curious and the whole thing could have been avoided. So I understand why you want Charlie to learn how to use a gun responsibly."

Jack spared a moment to check on Charlie again and then said, slowly, "Well, you know, princess movies aren't exactly where I usually go for parenting inspiration. But I guess you have a point."

Sam smiled and slipped her arms around his, squeezing. "I think your son looks a whole lot like his mother but the core of him is very much his father – the man who jumped out of airplanes into dangerous situations for a living. I think he has the same instincts for survival that you do too. So if you want me to help you hone those instincts, I'm on board with it."

Jack leaned his face into her hair for a moment and then kissed her. "Thank you."

"No problem. You're a good father."

Jack shook his head and snorted out another laugh. "A good father wouldn't have almost lost him the way we did. It's why Sara couldn't ever forgive me." He paused and Sam knew he was about to keep talking. It hadn't taken her long to figure out that Jack kept a lot of emotion locked inside himself because it was _safe_ there. Letting it out made him vulnerable, opened the door for people to pity him, commiserate with him, try to cheer him up. His body language was casual and almost cuddly – the way he was leaning into her. But the thoughts going through his head were so diamond hard she could feel them.

She waited in patient silence until he finally said, "She begged me to take him to a firing range, teach him gun safety. I didn't because I wanted to protect him from the world I knew outside. I thought Charlie would do as he was told, would follow the rules. I thought I had made it very clear that he wasn't to touch it, ever. I just…. Misjudged how much of me he has in him."

"So you admit it?" Sam said, nudging her body against his.

"Admit what?'

"To being an adrenaline junkie, just like me."

"Just like you, huh?" He smiled.

"You've been in a jet with me," she shrugged.

"Yeah," and then he exhaled in relief and she knew it was because she hadn't tried to sympathize or pity him.

"You want to let him play for a while longer before we start driving again?" Sam asked.

'Yes," Jack said, "He's pretty self-contained and a great traveler but he's still only ten years old. I want to stop at a diner in Silver Creek that I think you'll love. Their apple pie is incredible and they make their own ice cream. I highly recommend the strawberry."

"No chocolate?" Sam asked.

"Oh no, they have chocolate. It's addicting."

"Sounds great."

"There's a Frisbee in the truck. How do you feel about getting Charlie and having a couple of rounds? We can go down to the beach around the lake."

"That sounds perfect too."

They stood up in one smooth synchronized motion and Jack hollered for Charlie. To his credit Charlie broke off with his friends and came running. Perhaps he had actually learned to follow the rules to some extent.

They retrieved the Frisbee and strolled down to the beach hand in hand with Charlie running ahead of them. Sam wondered if things could ever get more perfect.

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	12. Chapter 12

The days at the cabin were some of the most idyllic Jack had known in a long time. Even knowing that it was only a week with his son hadn't been as hard as before. This time when he took Charlie home and got back on the plane, there would be someone waiting for him in Colorado Springs.

It had been odd at first, seeing Sam in the cabin, seeing her in all the places Sara had once occupied. It was different at the house in the Springs because Sara had never lived in that house. It had always been Sam's to make her own. The cabin was a family legacy and Sara had been part of it for a long time.

But now there was Samantha and it was amazing how it didn't hurt anymore. He could run into things that Sara had left behind – her bathrobe in the closet, a mug with her name on it in the kitchen – and he only felt a kind of poignant ache, not the horrible pain he'd experienced before.

Jack found that he loved the mornings because – being military – he and Sam always woke with the dawn while Charlie slept for another few hours. It gave him time with just her that he didn't feel was being stolen from the time with his son. It was always like this when Charlie visited but now he didn't have to wander around alone waiting for him to wake up.

Sam liked to shower in the morning while he started breakfast. When she emerged on the morning of the fifth day she was dressed in her own bathrobe and looking fresh and shiny. He put down the tongs he was using to turn the sausages and went to her, wrapped an elbow around her neck and pulled her close, kissing her warmly.

She grinned at him. "Good morning," she said.

"Mmm," he said, pressing his face into her hair. He saw no reason whatsoever to deprive them of the time they had here, together. So he had been driving her crazy being a big goofy teddy bear. "How about some coffee?" He leaned in and kissed her again, and she had gotten her wits about her, apparently, because she kissed him back, eager and affectionate.

"I'll get it." She disengaged from him and went to the coffee maker "Is that sausage? It smells heavenly."

He launched into the lecture on where the sausage came from, how it was a local brand unavailable outside this region of Minnesota, how unique and good it was, and Sam smiled at him indulgently, listening and drinking her coffee, sitting at the table, watching him intently.

"You want eggs?" He asked.

"Are they local too?" She asked with another smile.

"Yep, from that farm we passed on the way in, a few miles back," he answered, pouring batter for pancakes on the hot griddle. "Fried?"

"You know that."

"Thought I'd ask anyway." He turned to flip the pancakes and put the sausages on a paper towel to drain.

"So what are the plans for today?" She asked.

"A walk around the lake, fishing, whatever Charlie says he wants. We usually drive into town at some point for dinner at the diner and a movie."

"Sounds perfect," she said.

Jack poured her more coffee, tipped the fried egg out of the frying pan and then brought the pancakes and sausage to the table. He sat down across from her and they ate for a while and made small talk and Jack wondered if it was possible to be any happier.

Then she leaned forward and rested her folded arms on the table, after pushing her plate away and said, "Jack," in a way that made him know she wanted to talk about something serious.

"Ut-oh," he said, leaning back and taking his coffee mug with him.

"No," she laughed, "Nothing awful. I just need to talk to you about… about the future."

"Okay," he said and he had seen it coming. He was retired. Sam wasn't. There was an age difference they had never talked about because it had never mattered. "What are you thinking?"

"I want to reapply for the Space Program."

"That's a great place for you."

"It's in Houston," Sam protested, "and I … I don't think I can go that far from you."

"Ah," he said, slowly. "I see."

She paused, waiting to see what else he was going to say, wanting him to fix it all for her. Jack leaned forward then.

"I'd go with you," he said, simply.

Sam blinked, almost dropped her coffee. "You would?"

"Yep," he said, simply. "In a heartbeat."

"The house-"

"Rent it. Close it up, wouldn't matter," Jack shrugged. "All of that can be dealt with."

"Are you sure? It's so much to ask."

"To be with you, no it's not," Jack answered. "But I do have two conditions."

"And those are?" She asked

"I need you to give this two months, before applying."

"Two months? Why-"

"Trust me?"

Sam sighed because of course the answer to that was yes. "And the other thing?"

"I want you to marry me."

This time she did drop her coffee mug. It hit the table with a thud and fell over and fortunately it was almost empty. Sam jumped up startled and Jack got up with her.

"Hey," he said, coming around the table, gathering her into his arms.

"Jack!" It was a gasp, "God. I-I-I…"

"If it's no just say so."

"NO! I mean! Stop, wait. It's yes, of course it's yes, but-"

"But what?"

"Are you sure?"

"ME? I'm the one who asked." He let go of her and dug into the front pocket of his jeans. When he pulled out a sparkling diamond ring and held it up for her, Sam was so shocked she almost couldn't stay on her feet.

"Jack," she whispered, as he slipped it on her finger. "Oh my god, you planned this!"

"Not for right this minute, but for this week, yes. _You're _the one who started talking about the future and I wanted you to make damned sure I was serious when I said I would go with you."

Sam was staring at the ring in stunned disbelief. "It was my mother's," Jack said, quietly, "If you want your own we can-"

"No! This is perfect. It's beyond perfect. Oh god, Jack I don't even know what to say."

"Say yes again?" He sounded so hopeful she threw her arms around his neck and hung on for dear life.

"Yes," she whispered as his arms closed around her. "Yes, I will, immediately and for the rest of my life. As soon as we can. Forever."

Jack laughed and tilted his head back to look into her eyes. He reached up and smoothed a lock of hair over her ear. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she answered and her complete happiness was right there in her voice.

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	13. Chapter 13

Sam had actually expected her father to put up at least a token resistance to the idea of her marrying retired Air Force Colonel Jack O'Neill. There was – for one thing – almost sixteen years difference in their ages and it would only be a little over a year since they had met when they got married. But Jacob had only asked her if that was what she wanted and, when she said yes, he proceeded to call Jack 'son' as if he had done it all the time.

Sam wanted something small – a simple ceremony at the chapel on the Base at Peterson – and Jack wanted something immediate. He wasn't kidding about the two month window he had given her about waiting to make a decision about NASA. Whatever she decided, he wanted them to be married before she did.

The chapel was pretty easy to secure. So was the Officer's Club for a reception/dinner to follow. Military deployment being what it was, everyone was used to having to move fast. The added clout of this being General Jacob Carter's daughter and Special Forces Colonel Jack O'Neill didn't hurt.

Sam enlisted the help if her longtime friend, Dr. Janet Fraiser, to be her maid of honor and help with all the details. It all seemed incredible, too amazing to comprehend. She thought back to the night she had met Jack and remembered that she had tried to beg off going out. The whole 'girls' night' wasn't really her thing. It had been Janet who had talked her into it. If she hadn't gone she would never have met Jack, who had also been dragged out against his will on the very same night. It seemed right to have Janet stand beside her on the most important day of her life.

She and Janet took a long weekend to Denver and found Sam a knee-length, lace dress in ivory that was perfect on her. For Janet, they picked a knee-length satin and chiffon halter dress in a bright, summery teal blue.

And while she loved Jack in his dress blues, Sam thought it was too formal for what they were trying to accomplish and talked him into a black suit. It wasn't hard. Jack was singularly focused on getting married and not very much worried about the details. He told her quite emphatically that he'd marry her in Macy's window wearing a gorilla costume if that was what she wanted.

Sam had laughed at him and said not to dare her or she might take him up on it. He'd silenced her with kisses.

A week before the wedding, with excitement rising and butterflied starting to form in her stomach, a black sedan pulled up in her driveway and Lt. Colonel Samuels came to her door with an official looking envelope.

"There's contact information inside, when you've made a decision," he said, cryptically and then he was gone.

Sam had cautiously opened the large envelope and withdrawn a blue folder with the official Air Force/DOD insignia embossed in gold on the front. She opened it, read through the orders and then ran for the phone.

"Hey," Jack's voice said.

"You knew," she said. "You knew they were talking about reinstating the Stargate Program. That's why you wanted me to wait two months."

"Got your orders finally?" He didn't sound the least surprised. He even had the audacity to sound smug.

"It's the strangest orders I've ever gotten, delivered by a Lt. Colonel no less! It seems I have a choice of NASA or the Stargate Program."

"What are you going to pick?"

"The Stargate of course, and you knew that. Does this have something to do with your hurry to get married?"

"Yes. They've already tried to get me to come back in a few times and I suspect that eventually something will happen and I won't have a choice. If that happens-"

Sam sucked in a sharp breath. "I could wind up in your chain of command," she said, in a hushed horrified whisper.

"Yes," Jack said, all smugness, all joking, everything except dead seriousness left his voice. "There's no way I want that to happen. If it does it could be years before we could continue this."

"Oh my god, Jack. How long do I have to give them an answer?"

There was a pause and this time when he finally spoke, she heard the smile in it. "I think it can wait until after your honeymoon. You've got quite a lot on your mind right now. You still want me to bring the truck for those boxes?"

"Yes!" Half of her life was in boxes at the moment, waiting to be taken to Jack's house. Her house had been on the market for weeks.

"Okay, I'll pick up a pizza on the way there. You want Diet Coke?"

"Yes."

"Okay, see you in a bit."

"Jack!"

"Yeah?"

"They won't take away this position if I wait to answer. Will they?"

"No."

"You're sure?"

"Honey, you're the best. I'm surprised they offered you a choice. Trust me this is where they want you."

"Okay. I'll see you soon. Don't forget the extra cheese this time."

"I won't."

"Jack!"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, for… for everything, for all of this."

"I love you, too."

Sam hung up the phone and stood staring at it for a moment and then looked again the blue folder on the table. Beyond, the white lace dress hung in a plastic bag from a hook on her laundry room door. They represented her future and all the promise it held.

With a smile, she went into the bedroom to continue packing.

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	14. Chapter 14

Her cell phone rang, showing Jack's name in the caller ID, and she reached for it eagerly.

"Hey," she said, softly, glancing in the mirror because she still wasn't happy with her hair. She'd chosen to part it on the side, fluffing the top and back, leaving it mostly loose. The right side was pulled back and held with a simple floral clip.

"Hi," Jack said. "I was hoping to talk to the most beautiful woman in the world. Have you seen her? We're supposed to get married today."

"Jack," Sam laughed, chiding but delighted.

"Oh, hey, it's you," he said.

"Yeah, it's me," she said. "What did you need?"

"I guess I want to make sure that you're sure."

"I'm more positive than I've ever been in my life," she answered.

"Like you lost an electron?"

Laughter cascaded out of her like a shower of flower petals. "You keep that up and you'll blow your cover of being completely ignorant of all things science."

"It can be our secret," he answered. "So you're sure?"

"Yep," she answered, looking in the mirror and deciding her hair looked fine.

"Then let's light it up," Jack answered.

(0)

"You're pacing," Kawalsky noted. "You talked to her, right?"

"I talked to her, and I am not pacing," Jack answered, turning to stride back across the small room.

"Sure you're not," Kawalsky said. "You want a shot of whiskey?"

"No."

"Sedative?"

"Kawalsky!"

"Whack upside the head?"

Jack stopped and glared at him. "You're finding this much too amusing."

"Oh, I'm enjoying the hell out of it." Charles Kawalsky, honorary Best Man even though Charlie O'Neill (his namesake) held the official title, leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the only other one in the room, grinning like a fool. "Tough-as-nails black ops Special Forces leader gets all shook up on his wedding day. I told you that Captain Carter was out of your league."

Jack prowled the room again. "Well, you weren't wrong about that, but I'm still going to marry her."

"Well, if you don't settle down you're going to be useless to her tonight."

Jack stopped and glared at him. "Thank you! I do so appreciate your confidence in me."

Kawalsky's grin was starting to irritate.

"You'll be fine, Jack. That woman is crazy about you." He stood up and clapped Jack on the shoulder. "There's a whole bunch of important military people out there and Sam will be here any minute."

At that moment Charlie – in his best dark blue suit – came bounding in the door. "Dad! She's here!"

Kawalsky's grin got bigger. "See? What do you say we go out there and get you married?"

"Yeah, let's do that," Jack said.

He put a hand on Charlie's shoulder and opened the door out to the chapel. With his son at his side and his best friend at his back, Jack walked across the slate floor to where the rest of his life, his impossible second chance at love, waited for him to start the next season of his life.

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Somehow, Sam and her father managed to put aside any tension between them for the sake of her wedding day. He was genuinely misty-eyed and she was completely astounded by that. When she took his hand and he helped her out of the town car and said, "I wish your mother was here," Sam couldn't help but tear up a little too.

"I know, Dad," she said, quietly. "I do too. Um, Dad-"

"I won't fight with Mark today. I promise."

Sam exhaled. "I know. He did too. Thank you."

"Well it's not just for you, though that's the main thing. The kids are here too."

They entered the chapel, where Janet and Sam's niece and nephew joined them. Mark's kids hugged her profusely, looking bright-eyed and shy and excited.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"Yes!" They said, in unison.

They stood waiting for the music to start, and when it did, the doors opened. The chapel was full of friends and family but Sam didn't see any of them. Jack was there at the end of the aisle, in front of the altar – a tall silhouette against the brilliance of the sunlit windows behind him. Awareness of him flared like a fire under her skin.

_Jack._

She didn't remember walking down the aisle, but people told her later that it hadn't been a slow, sedate march to match the traditional music. Janet told her it looked like she was flying, almost running to him. She only knew that she wanted to get to him, reach him as quickly as possible.

He winked at her as he took her hand in his and she almost laughed. His expression was filled with humor and adoration. There was a reckless, intense gleam in his eye that didn't change the entire time they exchanged vows.

The ceremony itself passed in a spun-sugar enchantment. For Jack, Sam was simply stunning, gazing up at him with such sincere honesty and radiant joy. A shaft of sunlight beamed down from the high windows, firing her blond hair into a halo, lighting her face to transcendence. She was lovely enough to cry over and she was willing to be his.

He thought his heart stopped for a moment when she clearly said, "I do."

They had chosen basic gold wedding bands, though Sam's had been custom made to wrap around her engagement ring. Inside both was the inscription _my heart, my soul, my life._ It felt strange to Jack at first. He hadn't worn a ring in over two years. But when he looked at the one on Sam's hand that matched his it sent a small thrill up his spine. It had never been about the ring or the dress or the ceremony for Jack. It had always been about the promises. It had always been about saying they wanted to be part of each other's lives. He lifted her fingers and placed a tender kiss on her hand before letting it go. Her face lit up like the sun.

The chaplain pronounced them married, and introduced them as husband and wife. Jack leaned in and Sam rose up on tiptoe to meet him as they kissed.

The guests in the small chapel stood up and burst into applause.

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	15. Chapter 15

The days and months that followed their wedding passed in newly wed bliss. They'd only had two days to honeymoon in a private cabin at the Broadmoor, because they had gotten married on the Friday before Sam had to report to Cheyenne Mountain the following Monday.

Sam moved into Jack's house as if she had always lived there. The rooftop deck continued to be her favorite spot. But Jack cleaned out the third bedroom, which he'd only been using for storage, and made her the office of her dreams – floor to ceiling bookshelves, a kickass computer system, comfy chair. Her family photos joined the ones of Charlie on the mantle. Her clothes took over two closets in the house but he didn't care.

They fell into a pattern that included Sam working on a Top Secret government program while Jack continued to enjoy his retirement. He dazzled her with cooking skills, challenged her with chess games, rubbed her feet at the end of long days. They rented movies and watched sports.

They made love as often as possible, in every room in the house, in the truck, in her car. He introduced her to truck camping and they spent countless weekends in one state park or another.

She dragged Jack to Mark's for Thanksgiving and Charlie came to spend winter break with them. Sam couldn't remember a happier series of holidays, not in a long time.

Six months after the wedding, they had settled into a pattern of being together that was comfortable and supportive and everything Sam had ever believed married life should be.

So of course that was when everything went to hell under the mountain.

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	16. Chapter 16

Jack stood in front of General George Hammond's desk trying to get a read on the guy. Jack had a reputation for not having a whole lot of patience with authority. But it wasn't that Jack liked to stick it to 'the Man'. He just didn't really give a crap about authority most of the time. 'The Man' had to work very hard to earn Jack O'Neill's respect. He would have much rather dealt with General West. He'd already established a relationship with West that would have made this request easier.

"Under ordinary circumstances, Colonel," General Hammond said, "I'd have no problem assigning Captain Carter to your team. But you and Captain Carter are married and that makes this highly irregular."

"Everything about this detail is irregular. Sir," Jack said, trying not to piss the man off because he really did want Sam to go through the Gate with him, not because she was his wife and he knew how much she wanted to and how much she deserved to. He wanted her on the team because she was their leading expert on the Stargate and it made perfect sense. He had already said as much when he laid out his reasons for putting her name on the list of people he preferred to have on his team. "There are a limited number of people who have the clearance and expertise to go on this mission. General, it's not like this is going to be some permanent situation. You want us to go to Abydos and check it out. It's a single mission. She's the best we've got and I want her with us."

Jack could see Hammond's hesitation, saw him glance at the red phone on his desk and then he saw the moment when the General gave in. Jack took the victory with as much grace as he could.

"I'll have her sent for, Colonel," Hammond said.

"Thank you, sir. She's in DC on a TDY for the Pentagon," Jack said, helpfully.

"I know that, Colonel," Hammond replied and there was no mistaking the testiness in his tone. "Dismissed."

Jack tried not to bolt out of the room but his optimism about his next trip through the Stargate had just increased exponentially.

(0)

They gathered around the big table in the Briefing Room with Hammond seated at the head. Kawalski was there and Ferretti. He hadn't seen Kawalsky since the wedding. He hadn't seen Ferretti since they'd returned from Abydos. He'd chosen both men for the Abydos mission for obvious reasons. They were sharp. They had combat and Special Forces experience and he had served with them and as their commander multiple times. But Jack wasn't the kind of guy who got too close to his people; not after Burke. Not after Cromwell.

"Where's Captain Carter?" Hammond directed the question to Major Samuels.

"Just arriving, sir," Samuels answered.

"Carter?" Kawalsky said. He shot Jack a look that O'Neill quelled with a narrow eyed glare.

Though he didn't owe them any kind of explanation, Hammond said, "I'm assigning Sam Carter to this mission."

At that moment Carter entered the room, in her dress blues, looking so professional and lovely that Jack immediately ached for her. She walked over to stand by the vacant chair in front of him. She saluted Hammond,

"Captain Samantha Carter reporting, sir."

"But of course you go by "Sam"," Ferretti said, snidely.

Sam smiled smoothly, "You don't have to worry, Major. I played with dolls when I was a kid."

"G.I. Joe?" Kawalsky asked, curiously.

"No. Major Matt Mason," she answered.

Jack held back his snort of laughter with iron will. God, he loved her.

Kawalsky looked blank and leaned over to ask Ferretti, "Who?"

"Major Matt Mason, astronaut doll," Ferretti answered, looking impressed. He asked Sam, "Did you have that cool little backpack that made him fly?"

Hammond interrupted them. "Let's get started. Colonel?"

Jack dragged his eyes off Sam and said, "Thank you. Those of you on your first trip through the Stargate, you should be prepared for what to expect."

Sam said, quickly, "I've practically memorized your report from the first mission. I'd like to think I've been preparing for this all my life."

Kawalsky couldn't quite resist bugging Sam a little, "I think what the Colonel is saying is... have you ever pulled out of a simulated bombing run in an F-16 at 8-plus Gs?"

Refusing to rise to the bait Sam said, calmly, "Yes."

Taken back, Kawalsky hesitated for a moment and then said, "Well... it's way worse than that."

Ferretti took over. "By the time you get to the other side, you're frozen stiff like you've just been through a blizzard ... Naked."

Sam shrugged it off. "That's a result of the compression your molecules undergo during the millisecond required for reconstitution."

Ferretti made a scoffing sound in his throat. "Oh here we go, another scientist. Colonel…"

Jack opened his mouth to defend her and then closed it abruptly. If he said a word here he'd be in for an earful when they got home. Ferretti didn't know that he and Sam were married. There were only four people in the room who knew that; and he didn't want any of them to respect Sam because she was Mrs. Jack O'Neill. Ferretti was a good officer, but he had a hard time keeping his mouth shut and if Sam was going to work with him, she'd better fight her own battles.

Which Jack knew she could do. He kind of felt sorry for the guy.

"Major," Sam said, with such gentle professionalism it made Jack shiver, "I logged over 100 hours in enemy airspace during the Gulf War. Is that tough enough for you? Or are we going to have to arm wrestle?

Ferretti opened his mouth as if he was going to say more but he was cut off by the General.

"The scientist on the first mission is the reason you got home, son," Hammond said and though his voice was soft his manner was not. "Captain Carter's assignment to this unit is not an option, it's an order."

A ripple went over the table. Sam sat down across from Jack, who was leaned back in his chair covering the lower half of his face with his hand, trying not to laugh at her. Sam glanced at him but quickly realized eye contact was not a very good idea.

Samuels shuffled some papers in front of him and cleared his throat. "I hate to throw a damper on your enthusiasm, but I still say the safest, most logical way to deal with this is to bury the Stargate just like the ancient Egyptians did. Make it impossible for the aliens to return. It's the only way to eliminate the threat."

"Except it won't work," Jack said, bluntly/

"It worked before," Hammond pointed out, challenging him.

Jack shook his head and sat up. "They know what we are now. They know how far we've come. We're a threat to them. They've got ships, General. Ra had one as big as the Great Pyramids. They don't need the Stargate to get here. They can do it the old-fashioned way. Now with all due respect to Mr. Glass-Is-Half-Empty over here," he briefly tilted his head in Samuels' diection, "don't you think we should use the Stargate to do a little reconnaissance before they come back... again?"

The other officers at the table turned and looked at Hammond expectantly.

The General appeared to consider that for a moment and then said, definitively, "I'll give you exactly 24 hours to either return or send a message through. No Kleenex boxes, please."

He stood and everyone at the table stood with him. "Otherwise, we'll assume the worst... and send a bomb through."

Jack answered, "Understood."

(0)

The wormhole was activating as Hammond and Samuels entered the Gate Room. Behind them, O'Neill, Kawalsky, Carter and the rest of the team filed in. They were all in full gear now, ready for action.

Hammond faced them and said, sternly, "Try to follow orders this time, Colonel."

"Sir?"

"This time you bring Daniel Jackson back. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." Inside, Jack wondered if that was possible. Daniel didn't have any reason to come back and if things had worked out with Sha're the way Jack hoped, he really didn't have any reason to force Daniel to come back.

Those were all thoughts he kept to himself as he returned Hammond and Samuels' salutes. "Move out," he calmly ordered the team.

The team promptly walked up the ramp and disappeared through the Stargate. Sam was the only one who hung back a little, mesmerized, enchanted. The soldier in her had been out in full force during the briefing but now the scientist had taken over.

"My God...," her voice was hushed with awe and then abruptly turned girlishly excited. "Look at this! The energy the Gate must release to create a stable wormhole is - is astronomical, to use exactly the right word." She reached out to touch it, reverently, amazed. "You can actually see the fluctuations in the event horizon!"

He hated taking the moment away from her, but there was an actual mission in progress. He'd catch hell for it later, but Jack put his hand in the middle of her backpack and gave her a gentle shove. He took a breath and followed her.

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**A/N – This is an opportunity to retell the entire series from the POV of this Jack and Sam, married and in a committed relationship from day one. But I don't think I'm going to be tagging every episode. If anyone has suggestions and any episodes you would love to see please let me know. At the moment I'm just going to be doing the ones that inspire the Muse.**


	17. Chapter 17

Jack approached Daniel cautiously, as if he was a wounded animal. "Hey," he said.

Daniel nodded, looking miserable, every muscle in his body screaming leave me alone. When Jack didn't move or say anything else Daniel said, "They don't know what to do with me...and I don't know what to do with myself."

Jack touched Daniel's shoulder in a light punch, hoping it would snap him out of it a little bit, trying to make a connection. Jack recognized the grief, the shock that set in when there wasn't anything else to do, when you were afraid to move because you were hemorrhaging inside.

"Come on," he said, softly. He was used to men turning and following him no matter how quietly he gave a command. "Let's get out of here."

He turned and headed for the exit. But Daniel wasn't one of Jack's men and he didn't move right away. He hesitated. Jack waited. A moment later, Daniel was walking beside him.

"I need to find a phone and call my wife," Jack said conversationally. "Give me a minute?"

Daniel nodded absently. "I'll find a bathroom."

"Meet me at the elevator," Jack said, as if Daniel was five years old and likely to run off if he wasn't given specific instructions.

Daniel made a wry face and rolled his eyes, but it was the first spark of life Jack had seen so he let it go.

Jack found a phone on the wall in an empty room and dialed the science lab. Sam picked it up.

"Carter," she said.

"Hey."

"Jack," she answered, with enough emotion to let him know she was alone.

"Look, I'm heading out. I'm going to take Daniel back to the house."

There was a hesitation and then she said, "Good."

"You're sure?" Jack asked.

"Of course! The poor guy is devastated. If someone had done that to you and then carried you off to god-knows-where I'd be out of my mind. Wouldn't you be?"

The idea of Sam being taken from him was enough to stop his heart for a moment. He thought of Sam disappearing through the Gate to who knew where…the hand on the phone receiver shook. His free hand balled into a fist. He leaned against the wall. He'd set the galaxy on fire to find her. He'd crawl across it on his hands and knees. He'd—

"Jack?"

"Yeah," he said. "You know I would be."

"Well, I've got a ton to do here, including my mission report. I'll give you guys some time and come home later."

Jack's heart beat with gratitude. He hardly ever had to ask her for what he needed. Sam was always three steps ahead of him.

"I'm gonna have to stop a few places. The guy has nothing and I swear the BDUs they gave him would fit Godzilla."

"That's fine. I'll be late."

"Drive safe," he said. "I love you."

"I love you too."

He started to hang up and heard her say, "Jack!"

"Yeah?"

"The bed in the guest room isn't made up. I stripped it after Charlie's visit. The sheets are in–"

"The bottom dresser drawer. I know. You think Daniel will like the Power Rangers or the baseball ones?"

She snorted with amusement, dismissing his obvious silliness. "There are some plain blue ones in there too. Use those."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, respectfully. "Anything else?"

"There's not a lot of food."

"I planned to get that on one of the stops."

"Okay. We're almost out of coffee and orange juice. There's plenty of beer. Funny how that works."

"Yeah, funny," he agreed, grinning into the phone. "See you tonight."

"Love you."

"Love you back."

(0)

When they finally got home and settled, Jack put away groceries and got two beers out of the fridge – noting as he did that he was going to have to discuss the exact meaning of 'plenty' with his wife.

Ten minutes later Daniel, slumped in the leather chair and looking exhausted, had somehow gotten Jack to talk about his ex-wife. To be fair, Jack had started by comparing Daniel to her.

"When I got back from Abydos, there was a letter from her. She remarried," Jack said, shortly.

Daniel looked at him sympathetically over the top of his glasses and the beer bottle. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, so was I," Jack said, "I think in her heart she forgave me for what happened to our kid, she just...couldn't forget."

"And what about you?" Daniel asked, quietly, genuinely concerned.

The old scar bled for a moment, but dammit, there was something about Jackson that made him keep talking.

"I'm the opposite. I'll never forgive myself. But sometimes I can forget. Sometimes."

"Your son survived, Jack," Daniel reminded him.

"Yeah, but it was close. It was too close."

There was a long silence in which they drank beer and Daniel let Jack have nothing more than the comfort of his presence – a brief reversal of how the night had started.

"Wait," Daniel said, as if he had just remembered something. "Didn't you say you were going to call your wife before bringing me home?"

"Yeah," Jack said, taking a drink from the bottle, emptying it this time. "My second wife. We've been married for – oh, six months now?"

"Well, then, when do I get to meet her?"

"You already did."

Daniel looked stunned. "I did?"

"Samantha Carter."

Stunned turned to shocked. "Captain Carter is your wife?"

"Yeah," Jack said, feeling instantly better, rising out of the depression of his past, "Nuts, huh?"

"No," Daniel said, looking inward, trying to process. "I just mean, nothing you did all the time I was with the two of you indicated…. I mean, I'm not the brightest guy in the world when it comes to picking up subtle clues about stuff like that, but I am good with body language and things, and there wasn't anything either of you did that would indicate—but hey, congratulations. She seems pretty amazing."

"She is," Jack said, "which is why it's nuts that she married me of all people." He sat forward, "Look, Daniel, we don't tell a whole lot of people. She doesn't want anyone to think she got where she is because of who she's married to. She hasn't. She's damned brilliant all on her own without needing any help from me. But it's hard enough for women in the military and if she has a flaw it's that she's got a pretty big chip on her shoulder about that already. It hasn't always been easy for her. But she's determined to make her own mark on her career and I'm determined to let her. So, keep the whole married thing on the down-low, okay?"

"Yeah, makes sense," Daniel broke off on a yawn. He stood up, wobbling a little. "I wasn't kidding about that Gate-lag."

"So go to bed," Jack said, "I'm gonna stay up and wait for Sam. There's a whole wall full of books in her office if you want something to read, or you can watch the TV in the guest room. Charlie's got a whole box of video games—"

"I think I should just try to sleep," Daniel broke in, with a soft smile.

"Yeah, okay. Food in the fridge if you get hungry during the night."

Daniel started down the hall towards the room where they had dumped all the plastic bags full of stuff they had gotten at the store. He paused. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Yeah, sure. Don't worry about it."

They looked at each other for a moment and then Daniel turned and walked away.

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	18. Chapter 18

Still tagging Children of the Gods, with an M rated chapter. This is after the mission to Chulak. The next chapter will directly follow it.

(0)

"Shhhh!" Jack whispered urgently.

"I don't think he can hear us," she whispered back. "He's probably been asleep for hours-" She broke off on a low groan as Jack pressed forward and maneuvered her onto her back, kissing and licking a line from her neck to her breast. "Oh my god, Jack."

"Shhh," he said again, and it was just sexy as all hell, that husky voice trying to get her to be quiet. "Be still."

Sam melted into the mattress – helpless, adoring, obedient. Jack moved down her body in a long, slow tease of hands, fingers, lips and tongue. He put a knee between hers and pushed down, then hesitated and waited for her answer.

She opened for him, arched up as he settled between her legs and leaned forward, licking. Sam moaned, low and shivery, breath hitching in her chest, as her body responded to the touch of Jack's tongue. It was as much for him as for her - this slow, soft taste before he applied himself to giving Samantha what they both wanted. He licked again and again, more deeply, exploring at the same time, sliding on glistening wetness, touching with a light circling touch of his thumb. This would drive her over the edge, all by itself, if he kept doing it long enough. He wanted to. He wanted to tongue and stroke and suck on her there until she was drenched, shaking and open.

He wanted to gather her in his arms and feel her alive and sweet and his. He wanted to slide into her and just stay there, stroking her back, her sides, kissing everything he could reach, pet and tease and touch until she was sobbing and begging.

He always wanted to make love to her, and never more so than after this last mission and all the ways it had reminded him of what he could lose. He was hard and getting harder, desperately wanting touching of his own. Sam had one hand on his head, fingers threaded into this hair. The back of the other hand was over her mouth, muffling moans and whimpers in an attempt to obey his instruction to be quiet.

Jack gave one last slow swirl of his tongue, savoring the moment, listening to her stifled sob and then pushed up until he was hovering over her. Her eyes flew open, met his, glazed and hungry and maybe a little pissed off that he had stopped. He grinned at her wickedly and the annoyance left her eyes, replaced by warmth and exasperation and affection.

"Jack," she whispered putting her hand on his face.She tried to hold the eye contact, because she sensed that Jack was searching for something in her expression. But her eyes slid closed as he turned his cheek into her gentle, undemanding touch. The hand curved as he pressed into it. Her thumb stroked his lips, his chin. It was sweet, so sweet. He sighed - a deep, contented release of air.

She shifted under him, eager and welcoming, and he could see the intense pleasure in her eyes. Groaning, lifting up, Sam was strong, military muscle and curve under soft skin. Jack was shaking, and his head dropped. Sam kissed his ear, his neck, kissing and then licking, sucking, gasping, almost biting, ravenous and half-wild to feel this again, the hot electric rush of lust, the beloved familiarity of feel and scent and taste.

Jack took his own weight on his elbows and moved his hands up to cradle her head between his palms. At the same time Sam moved her hands down to Jack's hips. Jack pressed his face against her skull, and gasped. Then Jack was groin-deep in her and his arms had wrapped tight around her and her legs were tight around him. He was thrusting slow and short, thick and slippery and changing up the angle to hit every hotspot inside until he found the one that made her cry out against every effort to remain quiet.

A few short moments of that kind of attention and Sam arched her back, bowed up off the bed, clawing his arms.

In a low growl, Jack said, "Yeah." His strokes got longer, smoother. He dropped one arm under her lower back and held her fiercely against him. Sam went boneless and let Jack have her; it was half voluntary and half the onset of orgasm melting the ability to control her body. Jack surged into her, fiercely, taking her, taking charge of what belonged to him and feeling that certainty in her surrender.

It was more than enough to push Jack over into ecstasy, into shared joy so intense it finally whited him out and took them somewhere else, somewhere they could only go like this and together.

He rose back out of it slowly, still hovering over her, still holding himself up as much as possible.

"Sam," he panted, anxiously, because that kind of climax was almost pure animal immediacy and he needed to make sure she was all right.

"I'm here," she answered, then shivered, groaned again.

A contraction went through her, another surge like climax, an instant replay in shocked muscle and tissue. Jack grunted, feeling it. He was still very hard, he stayed hard like that when he was really turned on, as if the orgasm could barely make a dent in his desire for her. He thrust, a deep, gentle suggestion of in-and-out, and Sam gasped, spasmed again, groaning. Jack did it again, rolling his hips, working her over stimulated body. Little spasms ran through Jack, They were still orgasmic, both of them, even though they were also both emotionally drained. Sam sighed his name and Jack pushed deep, teasing the last of it out of them both. His head dropped and he pressed his face into her skin. He wasn't even close to soft yet. Sam contracted on him again and he moaned.

"Sam," he said again.

"Still here," she pulled his head down and kissed him on the mouth, pressing, forcing it open and stroking her tongue over his.

It wasn't his arms that gave out first, it was his knees. Groaning, reluctantly pulling out, Jack crashed onto his side and gathered her close.Sam nuzzled in with a contented sigh. Jack squeezed, hooked his leg over her hip, gently pressed the back of her head into his shoulder; holding her, cradling her. Sam made a low sound against his neck, and her body, which had already felt completely relaxed, let go of a tension that Jack hadn't known was there, melting into his tangled embrace.

"I love you," she said, "so much."

Jack pressed a kiss against her hair. "Never going to lose you," he promised.

"No," she said, in agreement, sighing again, drowsy now, "Never."

(0)


	19. Chapter 19

Jack woke up hours later with Sam sleeping heavily against him. Trying very hard not to wake her, Jack held absolutely still as he pinged his surroundings, feeling and listening for whatever had woken him. A glance at the clock showed 3am – two more hours before they usually got up.

He felt a small surge of adrenaline in preparation for acting on whatever had woken him up. A ripple of tension went through his body, involuntary and unchecked. But it was enough to wake her. She didn't say anything, though she lifted her head slightly to look at him. He felt a small burst of pride in spite of his apprehension. She knew how to wake up and 'feel' her surroundings the same way he did, especially if she knew he had woken up first and hadn't moved.

Jack stroked a reassuring hand down her arm and squeezed her wrist. Then he rolled over, swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. He listened for a moment more and then stood up, aware that she was sitting up behind him. He pushed his bare foot across the floor until he found his discarded navy blue sweats and then he dragged them on.

"It's probably just Daniel," Sam whispered.

"I know," he said, but he reached under the mattress and pulled out his handgun anyway. "I'll go check just to be sure."

"Don't scare him," she said. He heard the rustling that meant she was snuggling back under the covers.

"I'll try not to," Jack promised, drily.

(0)

Daniel needed rest but couldn't find it. He had tossed restlessly in the double bed, tangling himself up in the clean blue sheets Dr. Carter had supplied for him. She had also given him every extra blanket they possessed and a flannel sleeping bag that smelled like a pine forest. It was a bitter cold night outside with snow falling and misery pressing down on him like a shroud. He finally gave up trying to sleep and padded out into the living room, using only the light of the reflected snow coming through the windows. He didn't want to wake up Jack or his wife. They were being extraordinarily kind to him.

But at the moment he kind of wishing they had just left him alone at the Base. They were too much in love. This house just screamed 'Sam and Jack'. He appreciated that they were trying to invite him back into the world, but doing so via 'their' world was proving too painful.

He sat down on the couch, wrapped the sleeping bag around his shivering body and pulled his legs up. For a long time he just stared out the darkened window at the drifting snow and tried not to think. He had spent the early part of the evening and the better part of the hours after midnight boxing up and storing his feelings, shoving them into a cell in the back of his mind - the wreckage of Chulak, the bodies of the dead, the deadly fire of staff weapons, Sha're-but-not-Sha're's glowing eyes, rocks crumbling, screaming and terror, the ground exploding as death fell from the sky and dug up the earth around him.

Sha're was gone, but he didn't know where and there seemed no way to find the Gate address that had been used.

Daniel shivered and hugged himself tighter and wished for his wife's arms, wondering how he would ever sleep alone again.

He heard a door open and then the soft click of it closing and he knew Jack was awake. There were footsteps and then a sudden flare of brightness from behind him; the kitchen light coming on. There was the sound of water running, glass clinking and Daniel stayed still and silent where he was. Maybe Jack hadn't seen him, didn't know he was there. Maybe this was just what time they got up and it wasn't because Jack knew that Daniel was awake.

It was doubtful. Daniel already sensed that there wasn't much that Jack missed.

Then a shadow fell over him and he was forced to look up. Jack was standing there, pale in the diffused light, rumpled in dark sweats, dark hair sticking up and dark eyes unreadable.

"Jack," Daniel said, forced to acknowledge him. Damn the man anyway. "Didn't mean to wake you."

Jack pulled a handgun from the waistband of his sweats and Daniel blinked, because what the hell was Jack doing walking around his own house at 3am with a handgun. He gave Jack a quizzical look.

But Jack just shrugged, dropped into the chair opposite him and said, "We get up in a few hours anyway." He leaned forward for a moment to put the gun on the coffee table, as if it was a book he had been reading and intended to get back to later. He slouched back in the chair, legs stretched in front of him.

"Did I wake Dr. Carter too?

"Sam," Jack corrected, "She's going to want you to call her Sam."

Daniel absorbed that information and then said, "Okay. Did I wake her up?"

"No, I did. But I think she went back to sleep."

"Good," Daniel said. He nodded towards the gun. "You expecting company this time of night?"

"Can't be too careful," Jack said.

A sick feeling rolled over Daniel and he said, bitterly, "Yeah, I know. But your wife is safely sleeping in the other room."

He regretted it the moment he said it. It wasn't Jack's fault that Sha're had been kidnapped. That blame lay squarely on his shoulders.

"We'll get them back, Daniel," Jack said, and not for the first time and with the same rock solid conviction.

"You'll get them back. I'm not sure there can be a 'we'."

"What do you mean?"

Daniel sat up, wondering if Jack could see how hard he was shaking. "I want to keep looking for them. They're my family. But I'm not sure anyone is going to keep letting me step through the Stargate. I'm not even sure they wanted to this time. I mean, all of you seem to think I'm nothing but an academic, a product of the ivory towers of education. I figure I'm going to get stuck in an office translating, or teaching languages to a bunch of Marines who couldn't care less, because my resumé doesn't include the years I spent on the streets of Cairo.

"I've been on digs in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran-places where basic comforts and a respect for life were nonexistent. I've lived in places that make Chulak look like a vacation paradise. I got stuck in the middle of the war with the Kurds in Turkey, and it was really a good thing I knew how to speak the language at the time, but no, I don't put that kind of stuff in my cover letter!

"I speak twenty-three languages, which means I have a natural ability to learn even more. I have multiple degrees, knowledge of almost every ancient culture. I've been through the Stargate as much as anyone, and lived off-world longer. I don't see a liability in any of that, but if you're going to make this about an ability to shoot and kill, none of my actual strengths apply. I'm not military, don't want to join up, and my priority is to find Sha're and Skaara, but I am not going to jeopardize other lives for that.

"I know how to handle a gun, Jack. I don't like it and it's always going to be my last choice but I do know how. I can get better if it means I can be assigned to one of those nine teams. I know I won't ever have anything near your level of skill, but-"

He broke off because he was seriously shaking now and he was kind of surprised that Jack had let him get that far. He took a breath, took off his glasses and scrubbed a hand across his eyes.

"Sam's a better shot than I am," Jack said, almost conversationally.

"What?" Daniel said, blinking, staring at him in confusion.

"If you want to aim for a skill level, get her to teach you. But don't hope to ever get better than she is. Sam can shoot the white off rice."

"Will that get me on one of those teams?" Daniel asked.

"You're already on a team," Jack said, "my team. I already had a talk with Hammond. Yes, you're a civilian but-" He broke off and waved a hand in the air. Daniel knew it meant Abydos and the first mission and all the crap they had already done; what they had learned about each other when they were dying and nearly dying together and trying not to die again.

They had learned about each other's courage, what made up the core of their personalities, far below the layers of assumption and appearance and they had somehow formed a bond of friendship, even though it seemed unlikely and tenuous at best.

But that understanding didn't translate into words, for either of them.

"There's a condition," Jack said and Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Of course there is," he said, drily.

"You do not run towards anyone with glowing eyes without so much as drawing your sidearm. You do not offer to let them put a snake in your head; and you do not keep jumping into crap without even waiting to hear what I might have to say."

"That's three conditions," Daniel pointed out.

"It's one," Jack said, "Because it's about the team and the team is going to be one thing."

Daniel's chin lifted and the small smile he gave Jack was cold enough to cut. "Jack, if you want a good soldier who'll salute and just do what you say, you might as well just put me in that office I mentioned because I'm never going to be that guy."

Jack wasn't surprised. Up until now, Daniel hadn't shown the slightest indication that he understood the concept of 'chain of command.' But his irritation flared anyway. "I just told you that you've got a place on SG1, Daniel and that I had to fight for you to be on it. How is this helping to convince me to keep you on the team?"

"I'm not accepting a place on the team based on a lie, Jack. I'll argue with you. You want to know why? I'll tell you. It's because it's damned important to have someone to argue with you. I should have had someone on Abydos."

Jack's irritation fizzled like a wet flare. What the hell? He'd been gearing up for a fight, ready to verbally take Daniel's legs out, and then the guy had just saved him the trouble and crumpled.

What did he mean, had someone on Abydos?

Then, abruptly, the pieces fell into place for Jack. When he had dragged Daniel back to Earth he had watched the man leave a place where he'd actually looked like he belonged. The people crowded around him had looked as if they thought he really was a god, a hero, beloved to them. Daniel had even admitted it, had said only Sha're had treated him as if he was just a man. But she was in love with Daniel, and probably wouldn't have argued with him, either. If Daniel wanted to open the Gate and start trying some of those addresses, no one would have given him a counterargument, or questioned his motives or his logic.

Jack had no doubt that Daniel's motives had been pure. They had helped the people of Abydos shake off thousands of years of slavery, but they lived in a damned desert. Without trade or industry, they had to survive. Jack assumed Daniel had unburied the Abydonian Gate with the intentions of opening the greater galaxy and the world of exploration, prosperity, knowledge.

He couldn't have known about the threat. He couldn't have known that Ra wasn't the only one.

But now the guy was blaming himself for his short-sightedness, thinking none of this would have happened if only he had left the Gate buried. Daniel was sitting, miserably huddled in the old worn sleeping bag, brooding.

Jack stood up and gestured to him. "Come on."

"What?" Daniel asked, off-guard from the sudden change in conversation.

"Coffee's ready."

The mention of coffee got Daniel off the couch. He wrapped the sleeping bag around his shoulders tighter and shuffled after Jack to the kitchen. The brighter light made him blink as he sat down at the pine table. He'd left his glasses on the side table by the chair in the living room. Jack thought it made him look older, less wide-eyed and curious and more like a man who was hurting badly.

He poured the coffee into two mugs and pushed one across the table to Daniel. He got cream and sugar and put them out, a spoon for Daniel and then he sat down.

"What did we blow up two years ago?" he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"What did we blow up?"

"Ra?" Daniel clearly sounded like his last nerve was on the verge of snapping.

"Half right," Jack said. "We blew up Ra's ship. Please note the important word – ship, as in thing you can fly around in, out in space. Not as fast as walking through the Gate but it's still going to get you around. Now I suspect we're in the middle of an interplanetary land grab. We created a vacuum when we killed Ra and now all the other little tin gods are seeing what they can claim. If you hadn't opened the Gate on Abydos, Earth would have been left spinning around its sun with no idea what was out there and how threatened we are. There'd be no map room with a list of places that might provide us with what we need to defend ourselves, and Abydos would have been in the same boat."

Daniel drank, winced, then drank again. He wasn't looking at Jack. He was staring inward, thinking. Slowly he said, "Now the enemy has been through the front door, both places."

"Yep," Jack said, looking grim and staring into his black coffee. "Not sure how much time we've got now. But they'll come, in ships when they figure out they can't get through the iris; or to Abydos now that their Gate is buried again. It won't take them long. A year? Maybe less. I want the best I can find out there helping me look for a means of defense. That means you and, God help me, it means my wife too."

Jack almost sighed. A science geek with a bad attitude towards authority, who constantly pushed for different – hopefully better – choices; his wife, a genius in her own right who would follow his orders in the field even if she sometimes gave him grief about it at home.

And if he could finagle one more impossible choice he'd get Teal'c, a seasoned warrior with intimate knowledge of their enemy.

Somehow he had to make a team out of that mix and wasn't that going to keep his life interesting?

"So I'm still on the team even if I just told you I'll argue with you until you're pissed as hell?"

"Yep," Jack said.

Daniel's eyes were getting heavy-lidded, in spite of the coffee.

"You need to sleep, Daniel. Think you can now?"

Daniel drained the coffee. "Maybe. I don't know."

"Well then – bed. Sleep as long as you can. No one's going anywhere before noon."

"Is that an order?" The words came out around a slightly sly smile and Jack fought back a snort of laughter.

"Team leader here."

"Not on a mission at the moment."

"Mission is whatever I say it is; and like it or not the well-being of the whole team depends on the physical condition of each one of you. So get your ass in bed and get some sleep. My wife is taking you out to a firing range later today and you're gonna want your wits about you."

They finished their coffee and put the mugs in the sink. Daniel started for the hallway and then turned, "Jack, do you think she knows?'

"Knows what?" There was no reason to qualify who 'she' was. Jack knew.

"That – that…"

"Don't go there," Jack advised, "You're looking for her and you won't stop looking for her and I bet she knows that,"

Daniel nodded, "Thanks, Jack."

"Not a problem," Jack said, "Consider it your first lesson. We're a team. We look out for each other. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," Daniel said, sounding surprised, "I actually think I can."

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	20. Chapter 20

Tag to Emancipation:

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"So how mad is she?" Daniel asked, as they walked away from the tent, leaving Sam behind.

"Oh," Jack drawled slowly, "She's pretty mad."

"Is she going to stay that way for long?" Daniel asked, still sounding nervous.

Jack glanced at him sideways, remembering the guy was married so he wasn't entirely stupid about how things like this worked. He hesitated because his marriage and his wife weren't things he usually talked about.

But he had given Daniel that lecture about the team and watching out for each other and somehow he had known that would come back to bite him in the ass. They'd only done a handful of missions, but he knew they were getting the idea – that he put all of them first, cared about them on every possible level. Daniel was naturally curious and naturally empathetic. Maybe he was just trying to do his part.

"She knows I'm just watching out for her the way I would any of you," Jack said, trying to sound off-handed. "But I told you, she's got this huge chip on her shoulder about being a woman in the military and this sure isn't going to help."

Feeling guilty, Daniel said, "I didn't know they would dress her like that. I thought it would be something, you know-"

"Less gaudy?" Jack cut in.

"It's a good color for her," Daniel said, weakly.

Jack shot him a look that strongly suggested that Daniel stop talking. It was a hint Daniel didn't take, not that Jack expected him to.

"You could go back to the tent, stay with her."

Jack stopped walking and turned to stare at him. Daniel outpaced him for a step or two and then turned as well.

"Do you know nothing about women?" Jack asked. "You want me to go back to the tent and act like she needs protecting all night now?"

"Does she?"

"No." Jack said, then thought for a moment and said more firmly, "No. She doesn't. But are you suggesting she isn't safe in there?"

"I'm suggesting that maybe it wouldn't hurt to reveal that the two of you are married."

"Why?"

"Because that makes her yours."

"I don't own Samantha, Daniel."

"According to this culture you do."

"I didn't marry her in this culture."

Daniel lost what little patience he had. His hands started moving in that way he knew meant he was agitated. "Look, Jack, I'm not big fan of abusive patriarchal societies, but I lived in one for over a year and I know how this works. I was just starting to get through to the people of Abydos about women having some kind of equality when I had to leave. If you look at the historical nature of gender-based violence you can see that it isn't a-a-a-a – some kind of aberration, but a systematically entrenched belief in that culture and society. Like it or not, if you really want to protect all of us and get us home in one piece, you're going to have to play by their rules here. The same way she had to conform to their dress code, if you want to get her out of here without a fight, you might have to reveal your relationship...unless you really are interested in starting a fight."

Jack's mouth thinned in irritation. But he stopped himself from expressing it. Daniel was on the team because of his linguistic skills, among other things; but it wasn't just words that Daniel heard and Jack knew that. Daniel had a chameleon-like ability to understand a culture instantly. As annoying as his counsel could be, Jack had brought him in for just that purpose. "No, Daniel. I'm not," he conceded. "I just want to eat, drink and see what we can get from this place. Then I want to take my wife home and hope we can get past this."

"This?"

"I as good as told her there are now certain places I won't take her. That's gonna be an issue; and why am I telling you all of this?" Jack lost patience with himself at that point so he took it out on Daniel.

"I don't know! Maybe because you want to?"

Jack stared at him for a moment and then made a strangled, frustrated noise in his throat as he stalked off.

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When the eating and drinking and celebrating had ended, the men all crawled off into a community tent. Teal'c and Daniel tossed out bedrolls on ground. Teal'c sat down on his cross-legged and closed his eyes. Daniel crawled into his like a drunken college student. Jack stood for a while with his arms resting on his P90, looking in the direction of Sam's tent. It was dark and quiet. If Sam was already pissed off, it wouldn't help to wake her up, not now. He was tired and cranky himself and he knew he smelled like campfire smoke and roasting meat and alcohol – not something she would want crawling into her tent and waking her up.

After a few minutes he sighed inwardly in utter frustration and dropped his gear on the ground next to Daniel. He got into his bedroll and lay staring at the stars for a long time, listening to the fire dying. Somehow he was going to have to deal with having his wife – a strikingly beautiful woman – on a team that was likely to run into very old cultures with very old ideas. They didn't give classes on that at the Air Force Academy. But he had asked for this because she was the best and he wouldn't settle for less than the best. And Jack had to admit that there was something undeniably exhilarating about doing all this with Sam. Being in the field together almost erased any differences they had. They dressed the same, fought the same enemy, they won and went home together. It was sometimes as if he knew what it was like to be her – the one who wasn't covered in physical and emotional scars - and she got to see firsthand what it meant to be him.

There would be hazards to doing this together. But as he finally surrendered to sleep, Jack realized he wouldn't have it any other way.

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	21. Chapter 21

The next morning, after they discover she is missing and resolve to track them. I'm trusting that everyone is familiar enough with this episode for know where the missing scenes slot in, but I will do my best to make it obvious. There might be some abrupt breaks.

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Daniel had to almost run to keep up with Jack as they strode towards the picketed horses.

"Jack!" he said, breathless. "Look, she's your wife. I get it. You know I get it. But let's try to stay calm and concentrate on getting her back. Captain Carter – well, she's exactly the kind of woman ancient cultures used to go to war over. But how about if we try to avoid starting one?" The look Jack side-eyed at him would have made a less-bold man stop talking. But Daniel forged on. "It's too unfair. With our weapons it would be a bloodbath."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Jack responded.

The coldness in his voice sent a chill up Daniel's spine.

"Jack—"

"I swear to god Daniel, if they've hurt her—"

"You can't take it out on them because you're mad at yourself!" Daniel blurted out. He got the death glare for it but he broke eye contact and went on nonetheless. "I'm mad at myself too. I should have realized how valuable she would be in this culture. We shouldn't have left her alone. You'd think I'd have learned that lesson already, but apparently I'm still too stupidly trusting. So from now, no one gets left alone. There are four of us for a reason, so it shouldn't be a problem. I'd just really like to resolve this without anyone dying."

Jack's eyes were hard and weighted, staring Daniel down defiantly. "You're trying to tell me you don't want to kill that thing that took your wife as a host?"

Daniel grew pale, then shook hard as he mounted the horse he was being given. It was a low blow even for Jack, but Daniel accepted that he was the one who had wordlessly demanded honesty in their relationship. When Daniel didn't answer, except for the grim set of his jaw and the hard glint in his eyes, Jack couldn't hold back the smirk.

"Thought not," he said. "So they better return her without so much as a scratch or I can't promise there won't be hell to pay."

With that, Jack turned his horse's head in the direction Teal'c and Moughul had chosen. Feeling slightly sick, Daniel put heels to his horse and took up their six.

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Riding side by side and letting Teal'c track Carter and Abu, Jack was still arguing with Daniel about how to handle it. "You still don't think I should just tell them she's my wife and demand her back?"

"No, it makes it personal," Daniel said, urgently. "You might wind up in some hand-to-hand combat ritual or something."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Jack observed.

"Jack!"

"Fine."

"Just let me do most of the talking if you can. I'll do whatever I can to explain her value to us without diminishing her into being just someone's wife."

"Diminishing?" Jack snapped.

"Yes, in this culture. Being a wife is expected and not something rare. I don't think just being married to someone else will make a difference. If I have to I'll claim she's our chieftain."

"How is that not increasing her value?"

"It increases her threat at the same time. Tribes won't go to war over the taking of one wife. But they will over the mistreatment of a chieftain. Just trust me here, okay? I want her back as much as you do."

"Oh, I highly doubt that," Jack growled.

Not long after that they were hunkered down in the woods, looking at the encampment in which Carter was imprisoned while Moughal calmly explained who the chieftain was and what would happen to Sam if they waited until morning.

Which of course Jack was not going to allow.

Twenty minutes later, out of patience with the diplomatic process, Jack's need for action flared like kindling catching fire. He'd had Turghan's number from the very beginning. The guy was into power and the more Daniel spoke the more power Turghan knew he had. Jack drew his sidearm and shot into the tent ceiling, ending the bargaining himself. As he handed over the gun, he made a point of gesturing towards Daniel and Teal'c, whose hands were resting on their own weapons, preparing to draw them.

"In case you're thinking about using this to stop us," Jack said. "We have plenty more where that one came from. You can either have us as indifferent allies or really bad enemies. Your choice."

The look on Turghan's face when he eyed Teal'c and Daniel said it all.

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Once Jack was certain they weren't being followed he ordered a stop, dismounted and went to untie Samantha. Her expression was cautiously neutral – or maybe she really was still just that annoyed. She dismounted and Jack gestured up and down at her attire.

"You want to get changed out of that?"

"More than I want my next breath," she answered.

Jack got his pack and they walked away together into a dense part of the forest.

"You don't have to follow me," she said.

"Yes, I do," he answered, ennunciating each word carefully. "No one stays or goes anywhere alone anymore. New rule."

Sam gave a short derisive snort and then silently stripped out of the native dress and put on her own uniform. Jack hesitated as he was giving her back her weapon.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"For what?"

"Taking this too lightly, leaving you alone."

"You can leave me alone. I'm not a child."

"No, clearly I can't." Jack's voice went up into command mode and Sam went still and quiet in response. He regained control quickly and asked, "Did he hurt you?"

"Nothing permanent."

Jack held her gaze for a long moment. "Did he hit you?"

"No," she said, "Can I just put all this in my report, please?"

"If you just tell me then you don't have to write anything down."

"There really isn't anything. He wasn't pleasant but nothing happened."

Jack knew how to read people. He had especially learned to read her. She wasn't being evasive. She wasn't keeping anything from him. He realized he had been riding an emotional killing edge ever since he had learned she was missing. Now she was safe and relatively unharmed. Forcing it, he relaxed one muscle group at a time until he no longer felt like destroying something with his bare hands.

Instead he held out his arms and let her walk straight into them, rank and military finally forgotten for the first time since they had started going into the field together. He risked breaking her ribs with the strength of his hold. Jack's heart turned and plunged like a diving jet.

"God," he gasped out, "god. I don't know how Daniel hasn't gone howling mad. You were only missing for a few hours and I was ready to burn the whole planet to the ground to get you back."

She closed her eyes and hid her face against his neck. "I'm here now." Jack felt the way she was starting to shiver as the built-up adrenaline left her system.

"We're going to take this and learn from it," Jack said. His eyes were calm and dark.

"Okay," she nodded. Then she put her arms around his waist and her cheek against his chest and just held him a little while longer.

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	22. Chapter 22

Sam was making Jack angry and she knew it. In Jack's head he was already stepping through the Gate, taking her home; and here she was arguing to go back and start the war he had avoided once. She'd crossed the line from subordinate to wife and they both knew it, in spite of using their ranks even as their voices rose. There was a deep crease across his forehead, casting his eyes in shadow. A faint sheen marked his skin, making it hard for her to ignore the rugged sculpting of cheekbones and jaw.

That he could still take her breath away under the circumstances was some kind of absurdity. No wonder the Shavadai called love 'the madness.'

Daniel's suggestion to have Sam challenge the stoning was not sitting well with Jack. She noticed that Daniel wasn't arguing the point, though he clearly believed in her – apparently more than her husband, which was odd.

"Jack," Sam said, finally. "Can we talk privately?"

Jack muttered something under his breath as she stood and walked away. Jack watched her for a moment and then sprang up and went after her. He caught up and they walked away together, into the forest until Sam found a boulder to lean against and turned to face him.

"This is my fault," she said, without any other preamble. "I caused the distraction that made it possible for her to run away with Abu. If I don't go back her death will haunt me for the rest of my life. She's half my age and all she wants is to marry the boy she loves. I can challenge Turghan. I know exactly how strong he is and his arrogance is his weakness. Don't make me beg you, but please."

Jack rested his folded arms on his chest and studied her without speaking for a long time.

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Moughal watched Sam and Jack walk away and said to Daniel, "I think he also suffers the madness."

Daniel smiled a little. "So does she. She's his wife."

"Ah," Moughal said. "That changes everything. Will he let her do this?"

"He's walking a fine line," Daniel explained. "He can order her not to do it and she has to obey. But then he'll have to live with that at home."

The aging chieftain grinned a little at Daniel, in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "Then I do not envy him his decision."

"No," Daniel agreed, "I don't either."

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Unable to stand his silence any longer Sam prompted him, "Well? I get the feeling we don't have a whole lot of time to waste here."

Jack looked at her. She was staring back, forced to look up because she was naturally shorter than him and she had chosen a position that made her even smaller. Her eyes were bright pools of deep blue filled with wicked determination. The sun was bright in her hair. It rimmed all of her in gold and made her look like something ethereal, like a goddess.

Jack's pulse was a little unsteady. He wanted to kiss her.

"The guy's an idiot," Jack said, finally.

"What?"

"He gave you up for a half-empty handgun."

She smiled a little, ruefully, but still a smile. "Yeah about that," she said, slowly, and he could see the wheels in her head turning.

"What?" He asked, with an expression that said he knew, that he knew she had already figured it out.

"When did you start carrying a weapon that wasn't fully loaded?" Head tilted, expression shrewd.

He didn't answer, just kept looking at her with an unreadable expression, waiting to see what she said next.

"You planned that. You planned to surrender that weapon so you made sure it was as harmless as possible."

Now he smiled, because she wasn't just science-smart. Sam had all the basic instincts he needed to make her street smart as well.

He really wanted to kiss her because that was just so damned sexy.

"He might be really pissed if he shot off all the rounds already," Sam mused, "But I don't have any choice, Jack. I set this in motion. I can't let it end with someone dying."

"Do you think he really wants to stone his own daughter?" Jack asked, "because he can't just let you win to avoid having to carry out that sentence; not and maintain his dignity. If you do this, you have to take him down for real."

"You're going to have to start trusting my abilities at some point."

Dark eyes narrowed. "Is this about the girl or about proving yourself to me? This is the second time in twenty-four hours that you've suggested that I doubt you."

"Do you?"

"I wouldn't have you out here if I did. You wouldn't be on this team if I did."

"Then let me stop this," she pleaded. "Jack."

Her eyes were saturated with emotions and Jack was never going to be able to resist that. "All right," he said and when she started to smile with genuine triumph he held up a cautionary hand. "As long as it's understood going in that I'm not going to let you get hurt. I will break it up if I think it's necessary."

Sam got up and put her arms around his neck. She hesitated for a moment and then kissed him lightly. "It won't be."

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	23. Chapter 23

As Sam faced off against Turghan, Jack had one horrible moment when he saw her as the assembled tribe did – fragile, feminine, blonde. Without her veil, in what amounted to men's clothing, she was all but naked as far as they were concerned. Seeing her through their eyes Jack saw Not Captain Carter, not a trained Air Force officer, not a member of his team, but a woman.

In that moment he saw only what she meant to him, all the truth he had shared with her and all he could think of was himself and what would happen if he lost her.

It only lasted an instant before he got it under control; and then she was Sam again, and everything that implied.

The knife raised the stakes and brought a surge of adrenaline that had Jack standing, ready, on the balls of his feet. The knife at his own throat wasn't worth considering. He could disarm the guy and snap his wrist in a single movement. Any other attempted assault would be stopped by his automatic weapon, which would be in his hands in the next millisecond. Beside him, Teal'c and Daniel seemed likewise unconcerned by the sudden appearance of weapons being drawn on them. Jack knew that Daniel was capable of defending himself under the circumstances. He knew that because he had drilled Daniel until they had almost come to real, physical blows. And Daniel hadn't taken his eyes off Sam. Jack figured that Daniel also knew he and Teal'c would no more let anything happen to Daniel than they would to Sam.

As for Teal'c, Jack was willing to give the little guy with the knife credit for bravery, though he probably had no idea that his life was actually hanging by a thread. A signal from Jack and Teal'c would end the confrontation swiftly and certainly.

Jack ground down the instinct to rush to Sam's defense. He'd told her he trusted her, that he knew her capabilities, and he did. She wouldn't underestimate how dangerous Turghan was now – forced to fight a woman in front of his men. From the way he began, he knew nothing of finesse, relying only on brute strength and his own reputation. Sam, by contrast, moved like a dancer.

But this so-called 'warlord' was about to be put on his ass by a woman, in front of all his men. The outcome of this was inevitable though Jack hoped it would also be quick. Sam had gone into this fight already brimming with righteous indignation. When Turghan had pulled that knife Jack had seen something flash in her eyes. She was angry now too, and that knife had meaning for her. She'd been threatened by it before. Jack knew it and it made his hands ball up into fists but there was nothing he could do about it. It was Sam's fight.

She drew her own knife swiftly, fluidly, in a movement that was obviously well-practiced. She appeared not to notice the difference in size between hers and the one she was threatened with. In fact, she seemed grimly satisfied to be armed. Her posture and the way she held the blade were dominant and professional, eloquently underscored by her gender.

He'd been in the field with a scientist, with his wife. For the first time, despite their training and his awareness of her exceptional marksmanship, Jack understood that he was also in the field with a warrior.

Sam had never set out to be a killer, and she still wasn't. But in their line of work, when it got serious, people died. They both knew that. When it was necessary, it could be done quickly and cleanly.

Turghan tried to play with Samantha, taunting her. But Sam ignored it, being too well-trained for such arrogance, for those kinds of games when the stakes were life and death. Jack could tell that she had already judged and acknowledged whatever skill her opponent had. It wouldn't make her any more careful, or careless. But it would show him what it meant to step into this kind of dance with a woman who possessed her level of training and righteous indignation.

So Jack watched the man and saw the moment when Turghan realized he had dangerously underestimated her. Sweat-soaked black hair clung to his skull, clinging to his neck, no longer moving at all. Jack saw the flush of frustration mingling with futile efforts to end this quickly and decisively.

Sam managed to stop his heart a few times before ending it the way he had known she would. She didn't kill Turghan – and for that Jack was grateful because it was never easy to take a life in cold blood and he didn't want to watch her losing little pieces of her soul every time it happened. In reality she did far worse to her opponent – she defeated and humiliated him.

She had him on the ground with his own blade at his throat. Jack saw blood, a few drops, crimson against brown skin. If Turghan tried to move forward at all he'd cut his own throat. Sam wouldn't have to do anything but continue to hold the knife in place.

Around them the tribe muttered angrily. Jack spared a moment to glance away from Sam as she made her – very reasonable – demands. He looked around at the assembly in a way that he knew was disconcerting, in a way that made it very plain that this was to remain between Samantha and Turghan. Otherwise, they would all contend with Jack– and not just him, his entire team. He ended the visual confrontation by smirking at the man holding the knife on him.

Sam stood up and turned to face Jack. There was satisfaction in her eyes but nothing more. She had done her job and he was proud of her. Casually he pushed away the knife at his throat and stepped forward, smiling. There was absolute silence around them. She had stunned them, this woman who had so easily dispatched one of their own – and not just one of their own, but their chieftain.

The three men who had just recently held knives to their throats backed away. Teal'c took up a meaningful stance and spread his arms a little. The invitation was clear – fight me now, three against one. Jack knew it wasn't arrogance on Teal'c's part, he really was that good; and the message needed to be sent.

They answered Teal'c by bowing and backing away, slowly, sheathing their knives. Jack swore he saw a hint of a feral smile on Teal'c's face.

Jack turned to Moughal. "Tell Abu to help Nya get her things. Daniel, go with him."

For once Daniel didn't argue. O'Neill had sent him for the simple reason that, after what their female 'chieftain' had just done to Turghan, Daniel was the least likely of them to scare the women. Jack was also reluctant to give Sam any kind of order and ruin the impression that she really was their chieftain.

He went her and said, under his breath, "You okay?"

She looked up at him, her eyes shining and brilliant. "Yes," she said, "I am."

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	24. Chapter 24

**The last tag to Emancipation. This is after the credits.**

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Jack had been in some interminable debriefings. He had been in ones that were so boring it made his teeth ache. He had never been in one that he just wanted to have end because of the sexual heat coming from his 21C.

All right, in this case his 21C was his wife – which, to his knowledge, had never happened before in the history of the Air Force. There were bound to be times when the line between their personal and professional lives got blurred; and to her credit she had been trying to control it. They both had, ever since leaving Turghan's village and starting the walk back to the Stargate – since before that, really. But they had made an agreement not to engage in anything intimate while on a mission and it had required Jack sharing a tent with Daniel – who, thankfully, had not said a single word about it – when night had settled before they reached the Stargate. She was still high on the adrenaline rush of defeating Turghan. Jack was simply turned on because she was Sam and she was incredible and when she got turned on it was Jack that she wanted.

They had been very late returning from their trip to Simarka and because of that, Hammond gave them barely thirty minutes to shower, change and get to the Briefing Room. They had kept Daniel and Teal'c between them on the elevator ride to that floor; and then walked the hall to their assigned quarters with a good three feet between them. She had used the private shower while he had gone to the locker room. They had shared one hot, sweaty extended kiss before realizing they both wanted it to go much further and wordlessly broken it off.

He'd been fine until she had rushed into the Briefing Room, pink from a hot shower, damp hair roughly towel-dried and looking, at least to Jack, like she just had sex. He'd been trying to keep his mind on the report he had to give off the top of his head, not on the kiss he had just shared with his wife. There was no way he was letting their personal life interfere with this. The military would take her off his team in a cold minute if that became the case.

But it was almost impossible not to remember the taste of her mouth; the startling, welcome strength of her hands as they caught his shirt at the collar, tore it open and shoved it down his arms; the rippling muscles and soft skin of her arms, shivering under Jack's hands; her head tipped back as she yielded her throat to his teeth, dust and salt-sweat on his tongue.

Thank whatever Fates had dumped Daniel Jackson onto his team. Daniel was more than willing to start talking about the mission in great detail. Jack hoped it was enough detail that Hammond would get the gist of it and let them all go.

Sam was somehow more capable of speech. She interrupted Daniel a few times and at first Jack was annoyed but then he realized she was jumping ahead, forcing Daniel to skip unimportant details and get to the point. She glanced at Jack as she took a sip of water from the glass in front of her, licking her lips a little as she set it down. His heart sent a thundering rush of desire into his groin.

When it was finally over they rode the elevator alone, in opposite corners, pretending they both weren't thinking about elevator sex and painfully aware of the security cameras. They got to their quarters and Jack turned to lock the door. When he turned back she was already doing that unbearably sexy thing where she crossed her arms in front of her and took hold of the edge of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head. Then they were up against the wall, trying to climb inside each other, hands sliding under clothing. There was no distance left to close between them, physically or emotionally. They were already so deep inside each other there was nothing but love and deep, penetrating need.

Jack sank his teeth into Sam's neck and sucked hard while he wrestled with her bra. They fell down on their way to the bed, tripping over the carpet and not bothering to catch themselves, too busy fighting their way out of their clothing without letting go. Pinned down, Sam thrust her hips up against Jack's body, shuddering, and Jack responded by putting more of his weight on her, pressing her to the floor, frantically kissing her neck and shoulders.

Sam shuddered hard under him, twisting and writhing, trying to get to her belt buckle. Jack lifted off her for a moment, just long enough to get their pants down as far as their boots. Their boots were going to be much too much trouble, so they ignored them.

As he lowered his body back down Sam spread her legs to let him settle between them. Her head fell back while Jack mapped her throat with urgent lips, teeth grazing, mouth sucking the straining lines of tendon and muscle. They weren't going to get to the bed. They were going to do this on the floor and the moment he thought it, Sam groaned and shifted under him, hungry and desperate at the same time, and he thrust forward. Her arms went around his shoulders while Jack's went under her back and hips, holding her tight enough to bruise. They moved together as one mind with one purpose, panting, grabbing kisses when they could spare breath.

"Sam!" he gasped, because he was already so close he didn't think he could hold out much longer.

Sam writhed again and pushed down and suddenly she was over the edge, whiting out, biting her lip to try to stay quiet for no good reason he could think of, her body a blur of pulsing sensation as Jack shuddered, went still and came hard inside her, so hard he lifted them both off the floor three times.

(0)

Jack stared up at the familiar ceiling. He'd woken up a little while before with Sam curled up and warm beside him, her face half-hidden in the pillow, her hair spikey. She smelled delicious, a hint of sex and sweat over showered skin. She sighed and rolled over onto her back. Jack rolled with her, onto his side, gathering her close.

"Are we in bed?" she asked, groggy, and Jack thought it was an utterly adorable.

"Yes."

"Any idea how we got here?

"I think I carried you." The memory was sweet – lifting her off the floor, rag-doll limp except for the lips she was pressing gratefully against his.

"Oh," she sighed again and snuggled closer, turning onto her side so that her breath ghosted warm against his chest and Jack decided that was really nice – a warm, relaxed, slightly confused Samantha in his arms.

"You want to go out to dinner?" he asked, because the clock was telling him it was only 4 o'clock in the afternoon. "Somewhere nice? With tablecloths?"

"Oh tablecloths," she laughed a little. "You are still in a romantic mood."

"O'Malleys?" he asked, kissing the top of her head.

She appeared to consider that. "Why don't we get Chinese and take it home? There's a hockey game on tonight, isn't there?"

He thought about that – eating Chinese take-out with her sitting cross-legged on the couch with a box in one hand and chopsticks in the other, complaining about the Kings' defense because she always did.

Jack draped one leg over her and kissed her and now she didn't seem so sleepy. "Okay," he said.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I love you too."

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	25. Chapter 25

**The mission just prior to The First Commandment**

**(0)**

Sam was sitting with her back against the crumbling ruin, knees drawn up, talking into her radio. Jack was standing casually, with his arms resting on his P90, listening.

"Teal'c. Daniel? Are you reading this? Over."

"_No, I'm hearing it_," Daniel answered.

Sam looked at Jack and rolled her eyes. Radio protocol was still a thing Daniel was either having a problem with or deliberately ignoring.

"Where are you?" Sam asked.

"_Ummmmm..._"

Sam held the radio so that Jack could hear the mutter of voices in the background. "_Should we tell them we're lost?...But we are not."_

"_Well," _Daniel said into the radio,_ "apparently I'm lost but Teal'c knows where he is_."

Jack went and sat down beside Sam, shoulder to shoulder. He took the radio from her.

"Daniel?"

"_Yes, Jack?"_

"Stay put. We'll come look for you."

"_Well excuse me for being ignorant, but isn't that just going to mean that four of us are going to be lost? I mean three, since Teal'c knows where he is."_

"We'll leave the MALP broadcasting a long-range signal so that we can track it back."

"_Okay_."

"O'Neill out," Jack said, with very little hope that Daniel would make a similar reply.

Radio silence confirmed his suspicion.

"Daniel?"

"_Yes, Jack?"_

"You're supposed to say 'out'."

"_Why_?"

Sam started to chuckle, leaning her head on Jack's shoulder to muffle it. Jack rolled his eyes and ground his teeth for a moment. "So I know you're done talking."

"_Oh, okay. Out_."

Sam stayed there for a moment with her forehead against Jack, trying not to laugh.

"Don't encourage him." Jack's warning had no bite in it.

"He's just...such a sweet-"

"Pain in the ass," Jack finished.

"_You_ put him on the team," Sam reminded him.

"Yeah, and now he's lost. So let's go find him."

He and Sam stood and he waited while she set the MALP to act as a homing beacon. As they started forward again, side by side, Sam said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Depends," he answered but she suspected he wasn't being entirely serious. "You already know my top-five list."

Sam laughed in spite of herself. "Yeah," she said, shaking her head. "Mary Steenburgen?"

"Harrison Ford?" he countered.

She wrinkled her nose at him affectionately and for a second he couldn't breathe.

"All right, so what do you want to ask?"

"Why did you send Teal'c and Daniel out alone together? Is that really such a good idea?" When Jack hesitated to answer, Sam explained quickly. "I'm not questioning your command. It's just that I hope to know at least one tenth of what you do at some point and I want to learn."

Jack walked a few more paces. "Oh," he said, finally, "I'm going to try to make sure you know a little more than that."

"What?"

He glanced at her sideways and a deep furrow grooved his brow, which told Sam that he was about to say something he thought was so obvious he couldn't fathom why he had to articulate it. Slowly he said, "Your career is just as important to me as it is to you. I want you to succeed. So if there is anything I can pass on to you...then I'll do that."

Well, okay, so he had been right. She did know that and it was understood. She knew that he loved her too. But it was still nice to hear it. She wanted to slip her arm through his and hug it a little, walk closer, put her head against him. But they were in the field and it was agreed that they wouldn't do that.

"So what's bothering you about Daniel and Teal'c being off together?" Jack asked.

Sam took a deep breath and said, thoughtfully, "Well, I don't know Daniel as well as you do, so maybe nothing should be bothering me. But the Jaffa were the ones who took Daniel's wife, and Teal'c was the one who actually chose her to be taken to Apophis. Do you really think Daniel is handling this all that well? I mean, he seems to be, but he also seems like he keeps a lot inside."

Jack walked a few paces before answering, but Sam was used to that because Jack didn't say or do anything without careful consideration. "Yeah. There's that. But I'm pretty sure Teal'c could take him if Daniel went off on him."

Sam blinked, thought that through and said, "Are you expecting Daniel to go off on him?"

"At some point," Jack said, as if it didn't concern him at all.

"What?"

Jack sighed. "Look, Daniel's got a lot bottled up inside right now, and I get that. I just think that if he's going to lose it, it will happen without anyone around to stop him."

"And you think this is healthy?" Sam was trying not to stare.

"Healthier than keeping it bottled up. If he and Teal'c need to have this out, then let's just get it done and move on."

"You're sending them off together hoping they'll have some knock-down, drag-out confrontation?"

"Teal'c won't confront Daniel," Jack said. "He's just a little intimidated by him, or haven't you noticed?"

"Teal'c is intimidated by _Daniel_?"

"Daniel killed a _god_," Jack reminded her. "Daniel was given an order by Ra and he turned around and shot the bastard with his own staff weapon. Daniel, who looks nothing like a warrior or a soldier, killed one of the gods. Then Daniel _offered _himself as a host, and while I might think it was a boneheaded, asinine thing to do,Teal'c sees that as some sort of…bravery, I guess. Did you happen to see Teal'c's face when Daniel did that Egyptian quote, off the top of his head?"

"During the mission to P3K-923? The one from the book of the Dead? Yes, for a moment Teal'c looked shocked, but I thought I was imagining it."

"Yeah, that's the one. Daniel recites the words of the people Teal'c was raised to revere. I think Teal'c is struggling with all that. It's too much contradiction. If Daniel starts something, Teal'c will see it through."

That was food for enough contemplation that Sam was silent for a long time. "So what do you think Daniel is going to do?"

"I don't know." Jack shrugged. "Yell? Pitch a fit and demand the guy's head on a tray? I just don't know, Sam. Daniel is beating himself up about Abydos, about being the one who opened the Gate. But he might just decide to take it all out on someone else. All I know is that I want him to do it here, off-world, with no witnesses if possible."

"Why?"

"Because if Daniel does it on base where someone can hear him, some idiot DC bureaucrat is going to want to do something stupid, like have Teal'c tried for war crimes and lock him up and then he really isn't going to be very much use to us out here, is he? All our reports said about Teal'c was that he was the guy assigned to our prison, and he's the one who rebelled and broke us out. All this other crap hits the fan, and I don't know what the fallout might be. I just know I want to keep it as private as possible."

Sam inhaled sharply and then stopped walking, forcing him to stop with her. It wasn't something a captain in the Air Force should do to her colonel; but Sam was so overcome by the depth of Jack O'Neill, the connections and nuances and subtleties he was aware of, that she had to stop just to look at him.

Jack took two more steps before he realized she wasn't with him and turned back to her.

"What?"

"You really are incredible and I really do love you," she answered. "I'll never know as much as you do."

Jack looked down and then back up. His pleasure shone in the glint in his eyes and the slight curve of his lips.

"Well, then we'll be even," he said, cryptically.

But Sam understood. She smiled back at him and then they started walking again, searching for the other half of their team.

(0)


	26. Chapter 26

As they walked, Jack noticed a familiar pattern. The ruined temple and religious center surrounding the Stargate gave way to an ancient forest of pine and fir trees. Jack had thought that perhaps Daniel and Teal'c were lost in the woods, because it made sense to him. Daniel was a natural-born desert dweller, but forest all looked the same to him. But further radio communication with Teal'c told him that he and Daniel were in the ruins of a city.

The ancient forest fell away at the edge of a clearing. Small pine trees, less than half a century old by Jack's reckoning, were growing amidst the skeletons of twisted metal and old stone, covered in vines – the bones of what had once been great buildings. He paused with Sam at the top of rise, looking down at the city. Jack pointed to the horizon, to uneven fluctuations in the ground.

"Bombed from the air. It started there," he said, then moved his arm in a line going south, "Then they moved in towards the larger buildings, probably a government complex of some kind. They landed smaller craft in that open space."

"How do you know?" Sam asked.

"It's the only level space, which makes it the logical place to deploy ground forces. It was probably a park or some other public space. This didn't happen all that long ago."

His assessment was cool and professional but Sam could tell that the level of destruction was disturbing to him. "The Goa'uld?" She asked.

"No way of knowing, could have been an attack from somewhere else on this planet, warring nations."

"Maybe Teal'c will know more," she said.

Jack nodded and tried the radio again. Moments later he and Sam were walking down the hill to meet Daniel and Teal'c as they were walking up. Jack glanced at the sun, low on the horizon now, with streaks of pink, red and orange staining the sky and what appeared to be storm clouds rolling in.

"We'll camp here," he said, "There should be something still standing with a roof, or at least walls that will block the wind. That will make it a little more comfortable."

They set off into the heart of the destroyed city, with O'Neill on point and Teal'c taking their six.

(0)

They found a group of buildings that had survived the destruction with their roofs intact and after carefully studying the remaining structural integrity, Jack chose one for their overnight lodging. The roof looked sturdy enough, the windows were all gone but there was enough left of the walls to block most of the wind and the floor was crumbled in enough places to make pitching tents possible.

After the tents were up they gathered in a circle and dug into their MREs. Jack watched as they wordlessly traded desserts. Teal'c got Daniel's oatmeal cookie. Sam got Teal'c's chocolate brownie and Daniel got Sam's cherry pie. No one looked at Jack because they knew he wasn't giving up his apple turnover. It was a good sign, for Jack, that they already knew how to do such small, simple things without questions.

They ate with conversation at a minimum because they were all hungry, cleaned up, and settled in. Sam went to the tent she would share with Jack and he figured she was zipping their sleeping bags together.

Daniel dug around in a side pouch of his pack and pulled out a notebook and a pen. Cross-legged on the ground, leaning a little against his pack, he began to write. His focus moved in rapid glances from their surroundings to the page, with pauses to bite the end of the pen and stare into the open space in front of him unseeing. Jack saw Teal'c gaze balefully at Daniel for a moment and then look away, deliberately. A muscle in his cheek rippled in a spasm he couldn't quite repress.

"Teal'c?" Jack asked.

The Jaffa stirred, hesitated. But Daniel had looked up when Jack spoke and now Teal'c found himself pinned between two intense stares.

"Oh Chulak, only the priests have the power to create words, and they keep their writing utensils in the most sacred of places," he said, finally, "and only the deeds of the gods were cast into gold for eternity."

"Ah," Daniel said.

"The written word has great value for you, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, considering.

"Most of them," Daniel admitted. He paused to readjust his glasses.

Teal'c had never met anyone who needed to wear something to correct his vision and it impressed him that Daniel Jackson could survive with such a physical weakness. It argued for a strong will, though for a while it had made Teal'c doubt the strength of a people who would allow such frailty in their midst. Daniel caught the look Teal'c was giving him and said, defensively, "What?"

Teal'c understood that he wasn't being forced to answer. The Tau'ri used words very differently than the Jaffa. They scattered them like precious jewels, not fully understanding their value. They used them like sharp blades, as weapons. They used words to sway minds and enlist support.

They thought nothing of writing down their thoughts and recording their actions.

"Of what do you write, Daniel Jackson?" he asked.

Daniel shrugged and looked back at his notebook. "My impressions of this place, though there isn't much I can determine just from looking at ruins. It seems too modern to fit into the mold of the other Goa'uld-ruled planets you've taken us to."

There was a long silence and then Teal'c said, "It was not."

The implication did not take long to sink in. Daniel and Jack exchanged a somber glance. Sam had come out of the tent in time to hear it. She made her way to Jack's side and sat down close to him, slipping her arms around one of his while he thoughtlessly put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. They were off-duty now. That was understood, so she leaned in and rested her head against him. Jack hoped their intimate position would send a signal to the other two - this is unofficial now, this is off the record, nothing here will go into a report.

The light was slipping away, but Jack didn't reach for the flashlights or lanterns. The wind kicked up, howling outside the stone walls, rustling dead leaves in the empty streets. Jack chose not to break the mood. If Teal'c wanted to tell them what happened here, he could do it without having a harsh light shining on him.

"That's why you said you weren't lost," Daniel said. "You really did always know where you were. You were here before."

"As part of the legion of Apophis, yes." There was a heavy silence, and then Teal'c offered, "After the initial air attack, the survivors were rounded up and herded to the center of town. The injured were put to death. The rest were made into slaves or taken as the children of the gods." Teal'c paused, considering, expression haunted, "In my lifetime I was part of the destruction of many such worlds, if not the leader, at the whim of the gods. Worlds were brought to an end, because it was willed."

Daniel spoke up quickly, ""But not because _you_ willed it. That's the difference, Teal'c."

"Just following orders, Daniel?" Jack said, sardonically.

"I think Teal'c was always doing what he could to undermine the Goa'uld," Daniel looked at the Jaffa shrewdly, "I think you always tried to stack the deck against them, didn't you?"

"I do not understand this reference," Teal'c stated, "What is a 'deck'?"

"It means attempting to always slant things in the direction you want them to go," Daniel explained. "In your case I think you did everything you could to undermine the rule of Apophis. I think you-" He broke off on a sharp inhale, as if a sudden pain had flared in his chest.

Sam heard it and sat up a little. Jack didn't change positions, but he frowned and addressed Teal'c. "Daniel's right, isn't he? You had six guards with you in that holding cell, when you decided to help set us free. But you took them out as if they were asleep. I suspect they weren't the sharpest tools in your Jaffa arsenal and you assigned them to be with you for a reason. You already knew there was something about us that was different and you wanted to be ready, just in case."

Sam spoke up, though she was still looking anxiously at Daniel. "I always wondered about that, Teal'c. Jack barely said two dozen words in that cell. What made you decide to trust him? It can't have been anything he said because you admitted that others had said the same thing. But you didn't believe them. I mean I get it, I think. I fell in love with him the first time I saw him. But I bet it wasn't the same thing for you. So what was it?"

They all had their eyes fixed on him, Jack with a kind of sympathetic patience that said Teal'c didn't have to answer. Daniel was still staring in numb shock, words failing him for once. Sam was only curious, but her gaze settled on Teal'c like a burn.

Teal'c had lately been questioned a great deal. But the questions had focused on the Goa'uld, about how to defeat the enemy they now fought. That was not what Samantha Carter-O'Neill wanted. He was not used to anyone wanting to know the reasoning of his heart.

"It was the technology he wore around his wrist," he said.

Sam blinked. Jack smiled and exhaled a soft laugh. Daniel still didn't move.

"His – his watch?" Sam said.

"Indeed," Teal'c acknowledged.

The scientist in her went to work, the wheels in her head started to turn. "Because it was like the devices worn only by the gods in your world?"

Teal'c inclined his head. Sam went on, "It told you something about where we had come from-advanced technology, meaning refined manufacturing, indicating industrialization and metal working, sophisticated design, unknown function. But there's more. It's not just the watch as the thing itself. It belonged to him, and he was wearing it thoughtlessly, almost hidden under his sleeve, as if it was commonplace to him."

Teal'c smiled slightly, the way he would at an apprentice, though it was clear to him that in most things Sam would never be second to anyone.

"It was a symbol of power, "Teal'c said. "To carry anything other than a weapon is to court one of several painful deaths. The Jaffa are not given technology. We have only fire for light and heat. We have wells for water. We know the time of day by the movement of sun and stars, which are there at the command of the gods."

"So if the Goa'uld become aware of a world with advanced technology?" Jack prompted.

"It is destroyed," Teal'c stated with a disturbing lack of emotion.

"And nothing is really taken, unless it can be used by the gods," Jack said.

"Indeed.'

Sam was still thinking. "You're used to meeting armed opponents in battle. But meeting someone who casually wore technology, as a possession…that got your attention."

"And there was Daniel Jackson's part as well."

"Me?" The word came out high and fast, choked out past whatever had been holding Daniel silent. He pointed to himself and then his eyebrows arched high, and his glasses slipped lower. "What the hell did I do?"

"I had never seen anyone offer himself as a host."

"Well Jack's already made it pretty clear what he thought of that particular gesture," Daniel said, with an impatient eyeroll, "So, what? You thought that if Jack could keep an idiot like me alive then he might actually be able to save everyone else?"

"No," Teal'c said, "it meant that you did not truly know the Goa'uld, not as gods or as takers of souls, that you could ask whether anything of the host survived."

"Does it?" Daniel demanded.

Teal'c inclined his head in a silent confirmation. "For the very strong, yes; it is possible to fight the possession."

"And that's what made you choose Sha're," Daniel said, conclusively. "You saw the strength of will in her, the spirit. You thought she would be able to fight, to be a-a-a rebellious host."

"Indeed, I did, Daniel Jackson. Had I known then what I do now-"

"No, I get it," Daniel said. "Taking Sha're was a way of stacking the deck, another way of trying to keep the Goa'uld unbalanced a little. And you're right; Sha're is smart and she's defiant. She taught herself to read even though it was forbidden because she guessed that the word that was circled all the time on the Temple walls was Ra and she worked from there. She'll fight until I find her."

"She is alive, Daniel Jackson, and her physical form will be well cared for. We will find her. I pledge all my knowledge, strength and skill to that end."

Teal'c extended his right hand. Daniel hesitated and then, looking up, he put out his hand to grab Teal'c's, but Teal'c shifted and gripped Daniel's arm by the elbow. Daniel returned the gesture automatically. Teal'c's grip tightened a little and Daniel winced in response.

"That means something to me," Daniel said, slowly. "Thank you."

They let each other go and Daniel stood up. "I'm going to try to get some sleep," he said. "Good night."

They murmured their wishes for Daniel to have a good night. Sam told him to sleep well.

"I will take the first watch," Teal'c said.

"Yeah, sounds good," Jack replied. He untangled from Sam, stood and offered her his hand. She took it and stood up.

"Good night, Teal'c," she said, softly.

"Pleasant dreams, Samantha Carter," he answered.

On the way to their tent Sam whispered to Jack, "That go the way you hoped it would?"

"No yelling? No bloodshed? No words that can't be taken back? Oh hell yeah. That went _way_ better than I hoped."

(0)


	27. Chapter 27

**Scenes rewritten, scenes added to First Commandment. The dialogue in most cases is not mine.**

**(0)**

"No, no, you don't get it," Lieutenant Conner said urgently. "Hanson believes it too."

Jack took less than a minute to process that and then said, "Carter?"

He walked a few feet from the others with Sam following him. He wasn't quite out of earshot when he turned to face her. "I want you to take Conner back through the Stargate, report to General Hammond what's happened here."

To his utter amazement, Sam lifted her chin and said, "No, sir."

Just like that, Jack was no longer certain to whom he was speaking. Oh sure, she had called him 'sir' but this was personal for Samantha and Jack had known that going in. With this latest information about Hanson's mental state, she probably thought he was trying to protect her. It probably made more sense to her that he would send Daniel back. It seemed unlikely that they would need the civilian. The problem was that Jack was hoping to talk his way around this and not kill a bunch of innocent people, so he wanted Daniel with him.

Jack lifted both eyebrows and repeated, "No, sir?"

Sam got that 'I'm going to stand my ground' look in her eyes that made him crazy – the one that made her eyes burn like the hot center of a flame. Flatly she said, "If you are going after Captain Hanson, I should go with you. I can get to him."

If Sam didn't know he was trying to protect her by now, Jack gave it away in his very next statement, "Look_, Captain_." Jack almost faltered then because she had the grace to look down and away. His wife would never have done that. But while Sam was willing to resume being an officer addressing her CO, Jack was still in essence talking to his wife. "Either we're bringing him back to face a court-martial, or not. I think we both know what the 'not' means."

_Don't make me_, his eyes begged her. _Don't make me order you to be a part of something that will end in the death of someone you once loved._

Stubbornly, with understated passion and narrowed blue eyes, Sam said, "I know him, Colonel."

Jack ground his teeth. He _knew_ Sam knew the guy. They had been engaged. There was too much history, too much potential for her to get seriously hurt here. "Yeah," he acknowledged, "that would be the problem."

Jack wanted that to be the end of it. Oh, _how _he wanted that to be the end of it. Sam was going to get caught up emotionally. She wasn't going stand for the injustice. She wasn't going to let innocent people get hurt; and at the same time she was going to want a way to salvage Jonas Hanson. She clearly wasn't done arguing. "I gave him back the ring because I know him. I know how he thinks, how he operates."

Sarcastically Jack snapped, "How he likes to play god?" He was liking this guy less and less the more they talked about him and that did not bode well for their eventual meeting.

Sam shook her head as if she too was mystified. Her face was taut and her eyes were strangely bright. "Look, I don't understand how that could happen, any more than you do. But if SG-1 is going after him, then I am going with you."

Jack was about to drop the entire pretense that he was talking to someone under his command and start having a serious conversation with his very insistent wife – whoever might be listening be damned - when Conner chose that moment to speak up.

"Wait a minute," he said, slightly panicked, "you, you, you can't do that, there are hundreds, probably thousands of them. H-he's their god. They'll die for him. They'll kill for him in a heartbeat."

Jack was losing patience. It was bad enough being argued with by his own subordinate, a Captain, who was also his wife. Now the _lieutenant _was arguing with him too.

"That's not your problem," Jack said, trying to stay calm. "_Now,_ I need someone to report back to the General, and that is you."

In a shocking imitation of Sam, Conner said, "No, sir."

"No, sir?" Jack repeated, again. "Does it say _Colonel_ anywhere on my uniform?"

But it seemed that lately Jack's lot in life was to be saddled with people who didn't know how to obey orders, or even recognize them.

"I know the planet, the situation," Conner insisted, "I think it's suicide. But if you're going, I'm going, sir."

Sam was staring at Conner as if she thought he had lost his mind. After all it was one thing for her to argue with Jack, but quite another for Conner.

Teal'c intervened to stop Jack's imminent explosion by pointing out, "But you are not physically able."

"Frank was my friend," was Conner's stubborn answer.

Quickly, confirming Jack's suspicion that she really wanted this to end with Hanson still alive. Sam said, "This isn't about revenge."

Conner seemed to have entirely forgotten that he was addressing superior officers. "Maybe not for you. We got to move now, in daylight."

Anger diffused and suddenly resigned, and still unwilling to send either Daniel or Teal'c, Jack said, "Well, we're off to see the wizard."

As they trudged forward once again, Conner remarked, "I hope you packed lots of sun block."

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	28. Chapter 28

**A short scene with additional dialogue:**

**(0)**

As O'Neill jogged back to their position, Daniel and Teal'c exchanged a single communicative glance, wondering how he was going to react to Sam's actions.

"Connor looks bad. There's two guards be-"

Jack's voice broke off abruptly as he became aware of what was happening below them. Sam was raising her hands in surrender, taking off her weapon and being led away as a prisoner. For a moment Jack was too shocked to speak. Then he said, slowly, "Daniel."

Daniel gestured helplessly towards Sam. His jaw worked for a split second but no words came out. His arm hung eloquently in the arm as they watched her disappearing into the cave.

Jack sighed heavily. _Sam. _Jeezus this being off world with your wife in your chain of command was going to be harder than he had imagined. Resigned he said, "Never mind. It's probably our only way in without a firefight anyway."

Daniel found his voice. "She's _your_ wife. If you have some ideas about how we could talk her out of stuff, please let us know."

Jack appeared to consider that for a moment, seriously consider it and then he said, "Nope. I got nothin'."

Daniel nodded sagely, remembering his own wife and the way he had encouraged her fierce independence. "I feel your pain," he said, sympathetically, "I really do."

Jack gave him a sour look, but even Teal'c was gazing at O'Neill with a baleful expression of understanding.

Daniel pulled out his field glasses and started scanning the workers below. Jack fought down the irrational need to go in with guns blazing and rescue Sam. There wasn't any way for the three of them to storm the place and Daniel would probably refuse to do it anyway. "All right," he said, surprising even himself, "we're going to have to get one of them alone. Talk to him."

Teal'c seemed skeptical, "They could give us away."

"Maybe not," Daniel said, in that way he had of being sure about what he was going to do next. He was watching the young man who had just escaped being beaten stumble away from the site. "Maybe not. I think I've got just the candidate."

(0)


End file.
